MISSOULA — A man suspected of threatening an employee on Friday with a “replica gun” at the Southgate Mall in Missoula made his initial court appearance on Monday, Oct. 16, 2023.
Andrew Allan Schroeder has been charged with felony assault with a weapon after being arrested on Saturday.
Prosecutors state in court documents that 34-year-old Schroeder pointed what looked like a handgun at a security officer who asked that Schroeder leave the mall and not return.
Schroeder told Missoula Police he bought the BB gun at Scheels. He also admitted to taking the gun out of the box while he was still in the mall, loading it with a CO2 cartridge. Schroeder said a security guard approached him telling him to put the gun away.
According to court documents, Schroeder confessed to police, saying that the security guard had every right to fear for his safety and admitted to police that the security guard could have thought it was a real gun.
Judge Alex Beal set Andrew Schroeder's bail at $50,000 on Monday. Schroeder is also not allowed to possess any type of firearm or destructive devices and is banned from the Southgate Mall and the parking lots in the area of the mall.
Schroeder's next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 30, 2023, at 9 a.m. He faces up to 20 years in the Montana State Prison and/or a $50,000 fine if found guilty of the charge.
No injuries were reported as a result of the incident.
