A 70-year-old Pontiac man is behind bars for allegedly shooting his wife in the face during an argument while the couples’ two grandchildren were home — and he won’t be getting out any time soon, or ever, if he’s convicted.
David Lee Montgomery was denied bond at his video arraignment on two felony charges this week before 50th District Court Judge Lewis Langham Jr. He is charged with assault with intent to murder − which carries a maximum life sentence − and felony firearm for a shooting that nearly killed his wife.
According to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s office, Montgomery opened fire during a May 23 marital spat when a bullet struck his wife in the jaw, barely missing her carotid artery. The victim is expected to recover from her injuries.
“No one should be unsafe in their own home or at the hands of an intimate partner,” Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said in a statement. “I’m thankful this victim is expected to recover. We know access to firearms only makes domestic violence situations more dangerous for victims.”
An attorney of record is not available for Montgomery, who is scheduled to appear in court on June 6 for a probable cause hearing. That’s when a judge decides if there’s enough evidence for the case to proceed.
The case highlights an ongoing and troubling problem in the United States, where the toxic combination of guns and domestic violence continues to put millions of women in danger. According to statistics compiled by the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence:
• An abuser’s access to firearms makes it five times more likely that a woman will be killed in a domestic violence incident.• More than 850 women are killed by intimate partners with firearms annually.• Women in the U.S. are 21 times more likely to be killed with a gun than women in other high-income countries.• Roughly 25 million US adults have experienced firearm abuse by an intimate partner.
If you or a loved one is experiencing domestic or intimate partner violence, please call 1-866-VOICEDV (1-866-864-2338) 24/7 for help from a trained advocate. Calls are confidential and advocates are free.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: How guns and domestic violence nearly cost Pontiac grandmother her life
Reporting by Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
