LUCERNE >> A Lucerne man was arrested over the weekend after he shot his roommate in alleged self-defense. Michael Lawrence Finnegan, 52, was booked into the Lake County Jail for assault with a firearm after the incident in the 6300 block of 15th Avenue in Lucerne just after 8 p.m.Saturday. According to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, deputies arrived at the location for a report of a male who had been shot by his roommate. When they arrived, Finnegan was found outside the residence and the victim, a 51-year-old man, inside with a wound to the chest. The victim told deputies that he had been shot by Finnegan and was then transported to an out-of-county hospital for treatment. He is expected to recover from his injury, LCSO said. Finnegan told deputies he shot the roommate with a .22 caliber pistol “because he felt like he was being attacked.” The 52-year-old explained to authorities that the victim had been “very hostile” during the last week and threatened to kick Finnegan out of the home. The victim continuously barged into his room, according to Finnegan, which then led to the Saturday’s shooting after the roommate allegedly lunged at him. Finnegan remains in custody with bail set at $50,000.
