There was an attempted shooting in Winnemucca Tuesday night. According to Lieutenant Pam Coats of the Winnemucca Police Department, a man shot once into a vehicle which was stopped at 702 McArthur Street. The vehicle had three adults inside. No one was hit by the single shot, but one of the adults in the vehicle was injured by glass shattered by the single shot from a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun. WPD declined to say whether the person injured was male or female.
The injured person was driven in the vehicle to Humboldt General Hospital and treated, Coats said.
The alleged shooter, 26 year-old Michael Canchola, was known to the individuals in the vehicle and to another witness. After firing once, he fled on foot and a manhunt followed.
WPD officers and Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office deputies were involved in searching for Canchola. They received information indicating he might have made his way to Lovelock. He was located around 4:00 a.m. in Lovelock by a Pershing County Sheriff’s Official. It is believed that a friend gave him a ride out of Winnemucca.
Canchola was arrested and is being held in Pershing County Jail on $122,500 bail. Canchola is charged with attempted murder, aiming a firearm at a human being and burglary. The burglary charge stems from his allegedly having entered a residence in search of one of the individuals in the vehicle.
The gun fired by Canchola has not been recovered . WPD issued a request for assistance from the public and also a warning that if anyone comes across this, or any other gun, don’t touch it. Call law enforcement to come and handle the gun safely. Chief of Police Eric Silva said don’t touch any gun that isn’t yours; you don’t know if it’s loaded.
