A 31-year-old Merrill man is in the Lincoln County Jail after deputies and Merrill Police officers investigated a shooting incident early Sunday morning in the Town of Merrill.
A 911 call just after 1 a.m. reported a vehicle with up to five occupants had arrived at a Town of Merrill home and the suspect had confronted the victims inside of a garage, looking for another subject. When he was told the subject he was looking for was not there, the suspect produced a handgun, loaded a round into the chamber and held it against the head of one of the victims. The suspects left after a struggle began and one of the victims went to follow them.
When the suspect’s vehicle got to County Rd. K, it stopped and the 31-year-old exited the vehicle and fired off several rounds before the vehicle took off in the direction of Merrill. Merrill Police Officers located the vehicle in the city and soon found the group at a mid-city tavern. It was found the group still had the gun with them when they entered the tavern but had hidden it in the purse of one of the female suspects.
The four other occupants of the vehicle provided false information to the officers investigating the incident, leading to all of them being arrested for disorderly conduct and obstructing. They included two Merrill women, ages 27 and 26, and two Merrill men, ages 32 and 28.
The man with the gun, who was identified as Daniel J. Osness, was brought to the Lincoln County Jail. He has been charged with a felony count of first degree recklessly endangering safety and misdemeanor counts of intentionally pointing a firearm at a person, carrying a concealed weapon and battery. Following a hearing Monday in Lincoln County Court, Osness remained jailed on a $2,500 cash bond.
The deputy investigating the case advised he may forward charges against the four others involved. The handgun was recovered along with numerous shell casings.