CENTENNIAL, Colo. — The trial for man charged with shooting his neighbor through an apartment wall, putting her on life-support, has been scheduled.
Adams County Sheriff's Office (ASCO) said Mickel McLean was arrested in connection to the Oct. 2, 2021 shooting of Sally Strelecki in the 6800 block of South Ivy Way.
> Video above from Oct. 2021: Woman shot through apartment wall now awake and breathing.
Strelecki was standing in her kitchen preparing pet food when a bullet came through the wall and hit her in the back of the head, according to ACSO. She was taken to Littleton Adventist Hospital and placed on life-support.
McLean has been charged with the following:
- First-degree assault - extreme Indifference
- Second-degree assault
- Menacing
- Illegal discharge of a firearm
- Third-degree assault
- Three counts of reckless endangerment
A four-day trial is scheduled to begin on Aug. 30, according to court records.
McLean was in the adjacent apartment and told investigators he was involved in an argument with his girlfriend when the gun he was holding went off, hitting the wall to the neighboring unit, ASCO said.
According to the arrest affidavit, McLean and his girlfriend both initially said the two of them began pulling on an armful of clothing in McLean's arms when the gun fired.
When interviewed separately, McLean's girlfriend told investigators that he told her to tell "the story of the accidental discharge" but that "did not really happen," the affidavit says.
She continued, saying McLean "charged" her as she stood in the bedroom closet and hit her in the face, according to the affidavit. She said Mclean then grabbed the handgun, pointed it at her from several feet away and fired a single shot, the affidavit says.
The girlfriend added that she still felt the shooting was accidental because he did something about a year earlier and "feels he was just trying to scare her," according to the affidavit.
The investigator noted that the woman had small scrapes on her face and her lip appeared slightly swollen, the affidavit says.
Amy Graham, Strelecki's mother, said in October 2021 that her daughter was awake and breathing on her own, but faced significant medical challenges.
The family had discussions about ending life support. Graham said they ultimately did not end support, after disagreement in the family.
> Watch live 9NEWS programs, original shows, daily forecasts and top stories on your Roku or Fire TV through the free 9NEWS app.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Latest from 9NEWS
MORE WAYS TO GET 9NEWS
Subscribe to our daily 9NEWSLETTER for top stories from 9NEWS curated daily just for you. Get content and information right now for can’t-miss stories, Next and Broncos content, weather and more delivered right to your inbox.
DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP
iTunes: http://on9news.tv/itunes
Google Play: http://on9news.tv/1lWnC5n
HOW TO ADD THE 9NEWS APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KUSA.
For both Apple TV and Fire TV, search for "9NEWS" to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.