Man in custody after firing gun in Hungry Horse

A Hungry Horse man is in police custody after he allegedly was firing a gun in Hungry Horse early Wednesday morning, Nov. 29.

The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of a pickup driving around Second Avenue South in Hungry Horse shooting a firearm. Deputies located the vehicle matching the description and attempted to stop the suspect. The driver failed to stop, and the deputies pursued the driver toward Columbia Falls. The man’s rig was going about 100 mph in some stretches as he fled and at least one car had to pull over to avoid a collision, according to charging documents.

Columbia Falls police officers responded and successfully deployed spike strips near Second Avenue East and Highway 2 in Columbia Falls. The driver, Michael Raymond Loncto, 42, of Hungry Horse, was taken into custody after he allegedly got out of his vehicle, rifle in hand.

Loncto is currently in the Flathead County Detention Center on pending charges of Criminal Endangerment and Eluding Police Officers.