A Burlington man faces two attempted murder charges after allegedly shooting a woman Monday.
Police say Joshua Brissette, 35, shot the woman in the chest on North Union Street at around 6:18 p.m. Monday. She was conscious and alert and transported to the University of Vermont Medical Center and treated for non-fatal injuries, police say.
Brissette is being held without bail and is set to be arraigned Wednesday morning. His arraignment was initially scheduled for Tuesday but his attorney, public defender Jessica Brown, invoked a rule to delay the arraignment until Wednesday.
Brissette was previously married to the victim, and had recently rekindled the relationship, according to State’s Attorney Sarah George’s motion to deny release on bail.
Shortly before receiving about the shooting, police received a report that Brissette had taken his roommate’s car from their North Champlain Street residence.
Brissette then drove the vehicle to North Union Street, where he approached the victim and a male companion and shot multiple rounds at them. The victim identified Brissette as her attacker to police after the shooting.
Brissette fled the scene with the stolen vehicle, but he turned himself into police at 11:15 p.m. after police made contact with family members.
The two attempted murder charges carry a minimum penalty of 20 years in prision and a maximum penalty of life in prison. Brissette is also facing a charge for operating the vehicle without the owner’s consent.
Brissette had been arrested Saturday and charged with unlawful trespass and simple assault after a fight with the victim’s current husband over the weekend and allegedly stole a firearm from the victim.
“Interviews during this investigation revealed a growing conflict between the three parties over the last few days,” George wrote.
After turning himself in, Brissette denied being at the victim’s residence or shooting a firearm. Police found the vehicle he is accused of stealing at Brissette’s mother’s house with the window shot out and a gun magazine inside.
Brissette’s criminal record includes five felony convictions. He has at least one prior domestic assault conviction and is federally prohibited from possessing a firearm, George wrote in court papers.
In an unrelated incident, police responded to calls at 8:43 p.m. of a male gunshot victim who had been shot in the leg on South Winooski Avenue.
The department said that officers found a group of neighbors surrounding the man, who was bleeding heavily. Officer Joe Congdon applied a tourniquet, which the department said likely saved the man’s life.
“Police investigation and statements from the victim determined that the gunshot wound was unintentionally self-inflicted,” the department said in a press release.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Burlington man faces attempted murder charges.