Plea entered in shooting death case

MINOT (AP) — A judge has entered a plea of not guilty for a Minot Air Force Base airman facing a negligent homicide charge in the off-base shooting death of a fellow airman late last year.

The Minot Daily News reported that 21-year-old Nicholas Rouse appeared in court Thursday without an attorney because he earlier had been ruled ineligible for a court-appointed lawyer due to his income. Judge Gary Lee cautioned Rouse that he should hire an attorney and entered the innocent plea for him.

Authorities accuse Rouse of accidentally shooting 19-year-old Steven Crawford with a handgun at an apartment on Dec. 20. Crawford died at a Minot hospital.

Rouse faces at least two years in prison if convicted.

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