4 Juveniles, 1 Adult Charged in Casper Drive-by Shooting
Shortly before participating in a drive-by shooting in Casper Sunday, a man told his accomplices that if he didn't care if there were children in the targeted home, court documents allege.
Matthew Ray Nietert, 25, had his bond set at $100,000 cash or surety in Natrona County Circuit Court Tuesday.
He is charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, conspiracy to commit property damage, wrongful taking of property and possession of a deadly weapon with unlawful intent.
If convicted of all charges, he could face up to 35 years behind bars.
Four juveniles are also facing charges in the case.
According to an affidavit of probable cause, police detectives were called to a residence in Casper's Paradise Valley neighborhood Sunday after a homeowner returned home to find several bullet holes on the inside and outside of his house.
The dispute began when the homeowner's 19-year-old son, who no longer lives at the residence and often posts about boxing matters on Facebook, got into a dispute with one of the juvenile shooters. About a month prior, he posted something about another boxer on Facebook that a juvenile, identified in documents as IW, took offense to. A month-long exchange on the social media platform ensued.
Sunday afternoon, the homeowner's son and IW agreed to meet up and got into a fight. The homeowner's son said IW's friends tried to jump him, but he handled them without any problem. The fight lasted about a minute.
That evening, the homeowner's son was eating dinner with his family when IW sent him threatening text messages about his address.
Another juvenile in the case, ID, told detectives that he picked up an additional juvenile, AM, and drove them to the fight but did not participate. IW and a third juvenile male, QB, met up with Nietert who retrieved a camouflage backpack from an apartment. During the ride to the Paradise Valley residence, it was determined that Nietert, QB and AM were going to be the shooters.
They drove past the residence before turning around. When they went back by, they "opened up" on the home and sped off. ID described leaving the scene before the car struck a curb and flattened a tire. After that, they drove into an alley, placed the guns back in the backpack and left it in a yard Nieter said belonged to his grandmother.
QB and Nietert agreed to "cover up" for each other if they were caught by the police. Speaking with police, QB described the handguns as a semi-automatic pistol, a .357 revolver and another semi-automatic pistol.
Police also found what they believe is cocaine on QB's person.
When police interviewed Nietert, he said he thought that the reason for the shooting was to intimidate the homeowner's son. He explained further that he was aware that the serial number on one of the handguns was scratched off and that it was likely stolen.
QB is being held on $100,000 cash or surety bond and ID is being held on $50,000 cash or surety bond. The other two juveniles in the case did not have their bond set and are being held at the juvenile detention center in Casper.