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Man charged with shooting friend in face

By Layla Bohm
News-Sentinel Staff Writer
Updated: Saturday, October 13, 2007 6:03 AM PDT
Comments (55 comment(s))

A 19-year-old Lodi man who accidentally shot his friend in the face was arraigned Friday on charges including gross negligent discharge of a weapon and is jailed without bail.

Austin Noori did not enter a plea to additional felony charges of grand theft of a firearm, and possession of stolen property, as well as a misdemeanor count of violating a court order. In addition, he is accused of violating his probation on four previous cases.

The victim, Joshua House, also 19 and of Lodi, spent more than a week at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento and will still need more surgery, said his step-father, David Madigan. House has some motor-sensory problems that make him fall and drop things, and he's getting tired of eating soup, Madigan said.

House and Noori were in a home in the 700 block of Rutledge Drive on Sept. 20 when Noori accidentally fired a .40-caliber handgun, according to witnesses and Lodi police. The round struck House's cheek, just missed an artery in his neck, and sailed past another friend before hitting a wall.

An ambulance took House to Lodi Memorial Hospital, and he was then flown by medical helicopter to the trauma center in Sacramento.

Noori cooperated with police, who said the shooting was accidental. They soon learned that the gun belonged to a family member, who did not realize it was missing until the shooting.

Noori did not enter a plea at his Friday arraignment and was appointed a public defender, according to San Joaquin County court records. Noori will return to court Monday.

How long it will take House to recover is not known, Madigan said. House has three more medical appointments in Sacramento next week alone.

"He's being a better patient than I would be," Madigan said.

Contact reporter Layla Bohm at layla@lodinews.com.

Reader Feedback

I sure hope wrote on Oct 22, 2007 11:34 AM:

" I sure hope this group of kids have learned a lesson in all of this. Best wishes to Joshua on a speedy recovery. "

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Lodian2006@yahoo.com wrote on Oct 22, 2007 10:39 AM:

" Well our president and vice president is supposed to be a role model ya know! --Lodian "

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Leonard wrote on Oct 21, 2007 10:30 AM:

" Boy who Plays With Guns: Cheney CLAIMED that he only had on beer and "some wine". Other witnesses admitted that he was drunk to the point that he repeatedly dropped his gun. Who are you going to believe in a case like this, the shooter who has every reason to lie or the witnesses who stood to lose their jobs (or worse) for coming forward? Perhaps if there had been a legitimate investigation.... "

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M2CW wrote on Oct 20, 2007 5:47 PM:

" I still agree with the poster that told the parents of both boys to let those boys take their sorry stories to the highschools and see if they can MAKE a DIFFERENCE in the life of another. The step father comes across as a joke. It could just as easily be HIS son that shot someone in the face. I wonder would he be so self rightous then? After all, his son is no angel. "

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Lodian2006@yahoo.com wrote on Oct 20, 2007 1:38 PM:

" I'll ask again... Why do you think it's okay to drink and handle a gun? --Lodian "

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Playing With Guns wrote on Oct 20, 2007 9:25 AM:

" To: Lodian2006...How did the president get into this story? Stick to the article. Kid steals gun....kid shoots friend...Something was bound to happen. Police are at that house almost daily. "

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Lodian2006@yahoo.com wrote on Oct 19, 2007 10:27 PM:

" Dawes: You're not making sense. The president wouldn't sue the vice pres. Why do you think it's okay to drink and handle a gun? --Lodian "

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Playing With Guns wrote on Oct 19, 2007 3:18 PM:

" To Dawes: Nicely put....... "

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Lodian2006@yahoo.com wrote on Oct 19, 2007 2:19 PM:

" Thanks, Webmaster! --Lodian "

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Lodian2006@yahoo.com wrote on Oct 19, 2007 2:18 PM:

" Dawes: Cheney is an adult (the US VP!!) that had a drink and later (accidentally) shot the president while hunting. I think he made a bad choice that day to drink at all. --Lodian "

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Dawes wrote on Oct 19, 2007 12:14 PM:

" The person shot, in Cheney's case, had the option of pressing charges and he didn't. Get over it Leonard. It is pretty obvious that you have no friend's Leonard as they would be worried of a lawsuit by you, if they had an accident in which you rec'd an injury. You hate Republicans so much you can't think logically. "

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Playing With Guns wrote on Oct 18, 2007 6:19 PM:

" No, Cheney had one beer, with lunch...several hours before he went hunting....He had NOT been drinking all day...read up on it.... "

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Lodian2006@yahoo.com wrote on Oct 17, 2007 10:18 PM:

" What kind of idiot drinks AT ALL when planning to handle a gun? Insanity. --Lodian "

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Lodian2006@yahoo.com wrote on Oct 17, 2007 10:16 PM:

" Leonard: Good point. And these people (ie; Cheney) are role models for the young? Is this what we want our kids to model after? And some people wonder why the youth is having trouble. It starts at the top, including parents. --Lodian "

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Leonard wrote on Oct 17, 2007 9:45 AM:

" John Brown: Several witnesses mentioned the fact that Cheney had been drinking heavily throughout the day. Why was their no investigation? Why were there no charges? "

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WY wrote on Oct 17, 2007 9:35 AM:

" I love that word smarmy "

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WY wrote on Oct 17, 2007 9:34 AM:

" I'm a cheep date ... I can catch a buzz off one beer if I haven't had one in a long time. "

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WY wrote on Oct 17, 2007 9:32 AM:

" one beer two beers three beers four... NO drinking when handling a fire arm. No means, No. It's not like it's just kinda loaded, or it "just went off" I guess it was good for the VP that it wasn't close range with that 'One beer' . "

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NRA Dad wrote on Oct 16, 2007 8:30 PM:

" Anyone who plays with a gun while they are drinking and then shoots someone should go to jail, I don't care if it is some smarmy kid or the Vice President. They both should be doing time. "

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S. R. Peel wrote on Oct 16, 2007 8:23 PM:

" To The Gun: Having a lock box for your gun is a responsible storage strategy (I use one as well). Trigger locks and locking pistol cables also work well. However, none of these is going to stop me from getting to the gun nor is it going to stop a nineteen year old. Don't put too much faith in a lock and a key. Burglars and car thieves don't. "

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Playing With Guns wrote on Oct 16, 2007 6:19 PM:

" To: WY. No, not at close range. Also To: Leonard - Cheney was not drunk..He had one beer earlier at lunch. Grow up!!!! This is about a kid stealing a gun and shooting his friend. "

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John Brown wrote on Oct 16, 2007 6:15 PM:

" Lodian I can tell your no Bird hunter!! As I said you never stand in front of or to the side of the one who has the shot,if you do you could end up in a bad way.Ive been shot by a friend who wanted to see how close he could come to my foot.SO BFD..Drugs,Booze and a Stolen Gun...They got what they asked for, to bad so sad NOT!!! "

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THE GUN wrote on Oct 16, 2007 3:38 PM:

" To S.R. Peel everyone who owns a firearm should be responsible for their own weapon. The laws related to locking up firearms are to prevent ANYONE not just children from getting to them unless they are the registered owner. "

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Leonard wrote on Oct 16, 2007 3:22 PM:

" John Brown: Four words. "Shot In The Face". As for gun safety, ANYONE who knows anything about gun safety knows that you don't handle fire arms when you have been drinking. The VP was in the wrong and the continuing efforts of the Radical Right to excuse his actions only serves to illustrate the crass hypocrisy that defines the Bush Administration. "

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Lodian wrote on Oct 16, 2007 1:56 PM:

" To: Lodian 1:09pm: I don't think most people agree that Cheney was the best at anything, except for his aim. "

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Lodian wrote on Oct 16, 2007 1:54 PM:

" John Brown: Cheney was brought up in this conversation because he too shot his friend. "

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Lodian wrote on Oct 16, 2007 1:09 PM:

" Besides a bad aim, most people agree Cheney's the best V.P. we've ever had. "

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John Brown wrote on Oct 16, 2007 9:54 AM:

" Just for a grin,how in hell did Cheney end up involved in this story...I see drug's,booze and a stolen gun and a bunch of low lifes sitting around playing with it...Odds on some of those outstanding citizens will end up as guest of the CDC...As for Cheney anyone who hunts upland game bird's knows you never stand on the side or infront of the shooter..By the tone of some of the post it just goes to show how really stupid the libs are around here.. "

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WY wrote on Oct 16, 2007 8:20 AM:

" Was that Cheney thing at close range? I never paid much attention to the news story. "

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etc. wrote on Oct 16, 2007 5:10 AM:

" The victum was lucky he wasn't hit in the face with a used cigar. "

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davidblank wrote on Oct 16, 2007 1:49 AM:

" just like the lodi police ,a bunch of power mad little boys that want to play cop "

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Caligirl wrote on Oct 15, 2007 8:47 PM:

" Leonard wrote: No matter how you slice it, the shotgun blast that the Vice President sprayed into his friends face was clearly the result of a grossly negligent discharge of a firearm and the VP should have been subject to the same penalties of that the subject of this article will be subject to.If it were not for the culture of corruption that defines the Bush Administration and places high ranking Republicans above the law Cheney would be rotting in a Texas prison today. " Leonard I agree with what you said here. "

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HWSWFE wrote on Oct 15, 2007 7:19 PM:

" I THINK THE KID THAT GOT SHOT SHOULD DECEIDE WHEATHER OR NOT TO PRESS CHARGES , "

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danielle wrote on Oct 15, 2007 6:52 PM:

" how hard is it to be responsible when owning a gun? "

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Leonard wrote on Oct 15, 2007 5:38 PM:

" Playing: I doubt the providence of the gun makes much of a difference to the individual who gets shot in the face. Besides, the fact that Cheney was drunk clearly places the incident outside the realm of responsible hunting. "

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Just sue them wrote on Oct 15, 2007 11:59 AM:

" "hope the step-father sues the pants off the kid and his family" The answer to all problems we face these days... just SUE them...... Wonder why this generation of children lack in values.... "

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Playing With Guns wrote on Oct 15, 2007 10:08 AM:

" Playing with a stolen gun and shooting someone is much different then a hunting accident. "

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S.R.Peel. wrote on Oct 14, 2007 10:43 PM:

" How does anyone know how this young man came into possession of this gun? Maybe the gun was properly stored and/or locked. I think the laws related to locking up firearms are to prevent children from getting to them, not nineteen year olds! "

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insipid gimp wrote on Oct 14, 2007 7:20 PM:

" Gosh, I thought the kid was just trying to be a good Republican and follow his role model, Cheney. But now I see he was just irresponsible. He should have waited until they were outdoors and killing little birdies BEFORE shooting his friend in the face. Sheesh! What a dope! "

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Leonard wrote on Oct 14, 2007 6:34 PM:

" No matter how you slice it, the shotgun blast that the Vice President sprayed into his friends face was clearly the result of a grossly negligent discharge of a firearm and the VP should have been subject to the same penalties of that the subject of this article will be subject to.If it were not for the culture of corruption that defines the Bush Administration and places high ranking Republicans above the law Cheney would be rotting in a Texas prison today. "

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Leonard wrote on Oct 14, 2007 6:30 PM:

" (continued) Finally, since anyone with any familiarity with gun safety knows that one should never handle a gun when they have been drinking, the fact that Cheney himself admits that he had been drinking before he shot the lawyer in the face, that admission puts this incident clearly in the real of "playing". "

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Leonard wrote on Oct 14, 2007 6:29 PM:

" Ummm: You are just chock full of... cheese. First of all, Cheney's shotgun was not registered (nor should it have been registered since Texas does not even require registration for handgun ownership). Secondly, by all accounts, other than Cheney's, the hunting party was stinking drunk at the time of the shooting in the face. (continued) "

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Leonard wrote on Oct 14, 2007 12:37 PM:

" Notso: Cheney not guilty of grand theft???? Where have you been for the last 7 years? "

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THE GUN wrote on Oct 14, 2007 12:33 PM:

" I have my gun in a lock box and I am the only one with the key, I'm a responsible gun owner. Not trying to blame the family member but if this boy was under 18 the family member would be charged as well. The charges are a little harsh but a few of them can be plea bargained, and it won't be as bad as it seems. This is a sad situation but imagine the tables are turned and Josh was the shooter. Just something to think about. "

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Um Leonard wrote on Oct 14, 2007 11:27 AM:

" The difference here is that Cheney was using a registered gun (to himself), he didn't steal the gun, he wasn't on probation for screwing with handguns in the past, he wasn't under the influence of drugs and alcohol and he wasn't just playing with a stolen gun, He was HUNTING! You libs sure do go deep when you're looking to jab a republican. Get a life! "

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Some A-Hole wrote on Oct 14, 2007 9:32 AM:

" No, you got the Cheney thing wrong. He clearly estblished that if you shoot your frined in the face, HE should apologize and be thankful that you didn't kill him. He should then make sure that the public knows it was all his fault and not yours for putting his face in the wrong place. "

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Matt wrote on Oct 14, 2007 9:26 AM:

" I just wonder what the chances of surviving a bullet to the face are, anyway? Feels like i hear about a lot of these folks... "

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Floridakid02 wrote on Oct 14, 2007 9:17 AM:

" Leonard wrote on Oct 13, 2007 9:06 AM: " I thought Vice President Cheney had firmly established that shooting your friend in the face was not a crime. What gives here? Is there one law for rich, evil Republicans and another for the common folk? "...grand theft of a firearm, and possession of stolen property, as well as a misdemeanor count of violating a court order. In addition, he is accused of violating his probation on four previous cases." Hardly common folk - wouldn't you say? "

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ME wrote on Oct 14, 2007 9:01 AM:

" Shooting a lawyer isn't a crime... "

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Rebecca wrote on Oct 14, 2007 8:19 AM:

" I agree Leonard. I hope the step-father sues the pants off the kid and his family for not properly locking up their weapon. Classic. This could have been avoided. "

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Not so rich wrote on Oct 14, 2007 8:14 AM:

" Um, Leonard, he's not in jail for shooting his friend. He's in jail for grand theft and violating probation. Those are things which Cheney did NOT do, at least that time. "

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Brandon wrote on Oct 14, 2007 7:36 AM:

" Leonard to answer your question: Yes, or at least rich evil Republicans can bribe people not to charge them with a crime. "

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hey leonard wrote on Oct 13, 2007 5:24 PM:

" You'd be a fun guy if could just keep that liberal streak in the garage. "

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Interesting wrote on Oct 13, 2007 1:59 PM:

" Interesting how this article gets put in the back of the paper yet the story about the phony handbags is front page news. Whatever! "

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Leonard wrote on Oct 13, 2007 9:06 AM:

" I thought Vice President Cheney had firmly established that shooting your friend in the face was not a crime. What gives here? Is there one law for rich, evil Republicans and another for the common folk? "

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Comments on this story are now closed.

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