UPDATE: 2:25 p.m. - Oct. 16, 2023
The man suspected of threatening a security guard with a “replica gun” at the Southgate Mall in Missoula appeared in court on Monday, Oct. 16, 2023.
Andrew Allan Schroeder has been charged with felony assault with a weapon and is being held on $50,000 bail. (full update here)
ORIGINAL REPORT
A man who is suspected of threatening an employee with a “replica gun” at the Southgate Mall in Missoula on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023, was arrested over the weekend.
The Missoula Police Department reports that 34-year-old Andrew Allan Schroeder was taken into custody on Saturday.
Schroeder is being held on a pending felony charge of assault with a weapon after he allegedly pointed the replica gun at the employee after being asked to leave a store.
Prosecutors state in court documents that Schroeder pointed a "handgun" at a security officer who asked that Schroeder leave the mall and not return.
When arrested on Saturday, court documents state that a BB gun believed to have been used during the incidents was found in Schroeder’s pocket during a search.
According to the court documents, Schroeder stated he had bought the gun at Scheels and admitted to taking the gun out of the box while he was still in the mall, loading it with the CO2 cartridge.
Schroeder stated, "Some guy more or less just started harassing me," according to court documents, Schroeder admitted that a heated argument with a security guard ensued.
Schroeder is expected to appear in court on Monday.
He faces up to 20 years in the Montana State Prison and/or a $50,000 fine if found guilty of the charge, according to court documents.
