MEDFORD, Ore. (Oct. 30, 2026) — A 42-year-old man has been sentenced to five years in prison after a Jackson County jury convicted him of firing two gunshots during a confrontation with another driver in a Medford parking lot earlier this year.
David Michael Somers was found guilty Wednesday, Oct. 28, of three counts of unlawful use of a weapon with a firearm and one count of menacing, according to the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office.
Following the verdict, prosecutors requested that Somers receive a mandatory minimum five-year prison sentence under Oregon’s firearm sentencing law, ORS 161.610. Jackson County Circuit Court Pro Tem Judge Paul Moser granted the request, imposing the maximum sentence available under state sentencing guidelines for the case.
According to prosecutors, Somers otherwise would have been eligible only for probation if the judge had declined to impose the firearm minimum sentence.
Parking Lot Dispute Escalates Into Gunfire
The charges stemmed from a confrontation that occurred around 3 p.m. July 21 in the parking lot of Spirits World in the 700 block of Stevens Street in Medford.
According to the district attorney’s office, Somers and another driver were attempting to back out of parking spaces directly opposite one another at the same time. Somers was forced to pull back into his parking space to allow the other driver to leave.
Prosecutors said Somers began yelling at the driver, who exited his vehicle and remained beside it while responding to Somers.
While still seated in his vehicle, Somers produced what appeared to be a revolver and pointed it through his driver’s-side window toward the other man.
Somers then intentionally aimed the firearm toward the ground near the victim and fired a shot, prosecutors said.
As Somers drove past the victim to leave the parking lot, he fired a second round in the direction of the man and his vehicle.
Other people were present in the area when the shots were fired. No injuries were reported.
Witnesses and Surveillance Footage Document Shooting
Investigators obtained multiple pieces of evidence documenting the confrontation.
The victim’s fiancée, who was seated in the passenger seat during the incident, witnessed the encounter and corroborated his account.
An independent witness also recorded part of the confrontation on her cellphone. The video captured Somers briefly pointing a firearm through his driver’s-side window toward the victim before leaving the scene.
Surveillance footage from Spirits World captured the entire incident, including audio of both gunshots, according to prosecutors.
Medford police detectives located Somers and his vehicle approximately 30 minutes after the shooting at an apartment complex in northeast Medford.
Investigators determined that Somers had taken steps to conceal his vehicle’s license plate after arriving at the complex.
Although searches of his vehicle and apartment did not recover the firearm used in the shooting, investigators located ammunition and an empty gun holster with wear marks consistent with a revolver.
Prosecutors said the evidence indicated Somers had taken steps to conceal or dispose of the weapon before officers arrived.
While in custody, Somers told investigators he had only intended to frighten the victim and claimed he acted in self-defense.
Sentence Reflects New Firearm Prosecution Policy
The case is among the first involving the intentional unlawful discharge of a firearm to be resolved under a Jackson County District Attorney’s Office policy implemented Jan. 1, 2026.
Under the policy, prosecutors are directed to seek the five-year firearm minimum sentence established by ORS 161.610 in cases involving the intentional unlawful discharge of a firearm, regardless of the defendant’s criminal history.
Oregon law allows judges discretion in determining whether to impose the five-year minimum prison sentence when a defendant has no previous conviction for a qualifying firearm offense.
At the time of the shooting, Somers’ criminal history consisted of two prior misdemeanor driving convictions.
Jackson County District Attorney Patrick Green, who personally prosecuted the case, said the sentence reflects the potential consequences of using firearms during disputes.
“When someone chooses to unlawfully discharge a firearm during a dispute, they place not only the intended victim at risk, but everyone in the surrounding area. It is only by chance that no one was killed or seriously injured in this case,” Green said.
“I hope this sentence, and others like it in the future, sends a clear message that if you choose to endanger others with gun violence in Jackson County, you should expect to be prosecuted aggressively and face significant consequences.”
The district attorney’s office also acknowledged the Medford Police Department for its investigation.
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