County resident accused of shooting father in Trout Creek

A local man is lodged in the Sanders County Jail after authorities say he tried to kill his father during a recent domestic incident.

Christopher Michael Querfurth Jr. is facing one felony count of attempted deliberate homicide after the alleged incident on Tuesday, May 11.

According to the charging document, a Sanders County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to a report of a shooting at a Squire Lane residence in Trout Creek.

The deputy spoke with Querfurth Jr. and he showed the officer to a room just inside the house where his father, Christopher R. Querfurth, Sr., was laying on his left side on the floor.

When the officer asked the younger man what happened, he allegedly said “He hit me in the eye so I pulled out a gun and shot him.”

Querfurth Jr. then pointed to a handgun laying on a counter near the front door and allegedly said “there’s the gun,” according to the court document. The deputy saw a Springfield 1911 .45 caliber handgun on the counter. The deputy also heard Querfurth Sr. ask his son “Why did you shoot me in the ass?”

Also, Querfurth Jr. allegedly made statements to an emergency medical services assistant he had shot his father. The deputy said the accused man appeared to be drunk. A search of the defendant allegedly revealed a loaded, .45-caliber handgun in the back of his waistband.

Later that day, county detective Martin Spring interviewed Querfurth Jr. inside the jail and the defendant said his father had been verbally abusive to him most of his life and recently, the father had become more physically abusive toward him.

In addition, Querfurth Jr. spoke about a phone call from his daughter. She reportedly said she was happy staying with her mom and didn’t want to stay with him. The son said his dad “flipped out bad” and punched him twice in the face. The detective reported Querfurth Jr. had a black eye and it was partially closed due to his injury.

Querfurth Jr. said he was shocked by the punches, drew the Springfield 1911 handgun and allegedly fired three of four times at his dad, hitting him in the stomach.

When the detective asked the defendant about the gun which was recovered from his waistband, Querfurth Jr. said the gun belonged to his dad.

One week after the shooting, Detective Spring spoke with the victim on May 18 at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane. Querfurth Sr. said he would be getting out of the hospital in a few days and returning home.

The victim also said he was shot once in the stomach, twice in the leg and that the attack was unprovoked. Querfurth Sr. said he never hit his son in the face and had no idea how he had a black eye.

Querfurth Jr. faces a maximum term of life in the Montana State Prison.