HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – A Bellingham, Washington, man has been formally charged with criminal attempt to commit first-degree murder after prosecutors say he fired a pistol inside a bar at The Waters hotel in downtown Hot Springs, narrowly missing a patron.
Ryan Garrett Walker, 42, was charged Wednesday in Garland County Circuit Court with one count of criminal attempt to commit murder in the first degree, a Class A felony, and three counts of aggravated assault, Class D felonies, according to a criminal information filed by Prosecuting Attorney Michelle C. Lawrence. The attempted murder charge carries a firearm enhancement that could add up to 15 years to any sentence.
The charges stem from a June 17 incident at The Avenue, the bar inside The Waters at 340 Central Avenue.
According to an affidavit filed by Hot Springs police Officer S. Maestas, officers responded to a shots fired call at the hotel about 11:05 p.m. Maestas wrote that he found Walker inside the bar with a firearm resting on a table next to him. When the officer asked whether Walker had pulled a gun and fired a round for no reason, Walker replied, “well I was going to kill some people,” according to the affidavit.
Surveillance video and witness interviews described a prolonged encounter, the affidavit states. Walker had been drinking at the bar with two other patrons when hotel staff told him he had an unpaid tab upstairs. After leaving and returning with a backpack and headphones, Walker followed one of the patrons toward the bathroom while pointing a pistol at him, according to the affidavit.
Walker then returned to the bar, pointed the pistol at a second patron and pulled the trigger, the affidavit states. The gun clicked but did not fire. The man stood and pleaded with Walker, who removed the magazine to show it was loaded, reinserted it and racked the slide, according to the affidavit. Walker then waved the weapon toward the bartender and a kitchen employee behind the bar before firing one round that narrowly missed the patron, the affidavit states.
The bullet struck a specialized mirror behind the bar and a bottle of liquor, causing an estimated $1,200 in damage, according to the affidavit.
Walker was arrested June 18. His bond was set at $75,000, court records show.
The formal charges differ from the initial arrest. Hot Springs police originally booked Walker on suspicion of terroristic act, four counts of aggravated assault, first-degree criminal mischief and attempted first-degree battery, according to the arrest report. Prosecutors formally charged the attempted murder count and three aggravated assault counts.
If convicted of the attempted murder charge, Walker faces six to 30 years in the Arkansas Division of Correction and a fine of up to $15,000, plus up to 15 additional years under the firearm enhancement. Each aggravated assault count carries up to six years and a fine of up to $10,000.
