Mental exam sought for fireworks shooting suspect

A defense attorney requested a competency evaluation Friday for a Minnehaha resident accused of firing three rounds of ammunition into his neighbors’ house June 30 after they set off fireworks.

Corey A. Moulton, 25, was scheduled to be arraigned Friday on a charge of first-degree assault. His court-appointed attorney, Louis Byrd Jr., delayed the arraignment and asked Clark County Superior Court Judge Robert Lewis to order a competency evaluation. Lewis is scheduled to consider the matter Monday.

The evaluation by Western State Hospital staff would determine if Moulton has the mental capacity to assist with his defense.

Byrd said he is concerned about his client’s mental health because the Clark County Jail has kept Moulton on suicide watch. At the court hearing Friday, Moulton wore a green suicide smock, a garment designed so that it cannot be fashioned into a noose.

He is in Clark County Jail on $200,000 bail.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Moulton pointed a shotgun at his neighbors’ house in the 4900 block of Northeast 19th Avenue and fired three rounds.

“You want to blow (expletive) up?” Moulton allegedly said. “I’ll blow you up!”

Moulton then turned toward two witnesses, prompting them to duck behind a car because they feared for their lives, according to the court documents.

He later told police he was angry about his neighbors’ fireworks, so he fired into some bushes, the court documents say.