Man and woman charged in girl’s accidental shooting death

A man and a woman pleaded not guilty to charges in connection with a young girl’s accidental shooting death in Chubbuck last year.

Rusty L. Lish and his wife, Ashlee Lish, are both facing charges of misdemeanor injury to a child in connection with the death of Noelle Shawver. They were arraigned in 6th District Magistrate Court in Pocatello on Wednesday.

“We have no comment,” the Lishes’ attorney, Gregory May, told reporters as the couple was leaving court.

The maximum penalty on the charges include up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Noelle was shot by another 5-year-old in July while visiting the Lishes’ home on Canal Street. Police said adults were in the home at the time of the shooting, but they were in a different room. Authorities did not say how the other child got access to the gun.

“My take was gun was loaded and in a location where the young child could pick the gun up,” said Bannock County Prosecutor Steve Herzog. “Leaving a loaded weapon where somebody — a child — could get a hold of it certainly creates unreasonable and foreseeable risks to children.”

The Lishes are next due in court May 21.