Austin coughs up bullet fragment

BOISE -- Shot in the face by an unnanned gunman, Austin Askins, a student at Northwest Lineman College in Meridian, was told a bullet fragment lodged near his spine would never come out.

Miraculously it did while the 19-year-old was on a plane headed back to his hometown of Liberty Lake, near Spokane.

Askins' parents were told by two neurosurgeons that the bullet fragment near their son’s spine could not be surgically removed.

Austin was told it would not cause paralysis, but would affect his nerve endings.

That changed when he coughed up the bullet fragment.

The bullet fragment Austin coughed up.

Today, Austin is playing basketball with his father.

Just a few days ago, he was having trouble breathing and told his parents it was hard to swallow.

While on a recent plane trip Austin coughed hard and out popped the fragment.

His father took him to get X-rays to make certain the fragment came from his spine.

"We had actually landed, and right when I stepped off the plane I coughed really hard and the bullet came out, it was like the casing or something," said Austin Askins.

Austin was headed home to prepare for oral surgery -- reconstruction on missing teeth and damaged bone, gums and tongue.

Two other victims of the Labor Day shooting in Boise are also recovering.

Kyle Detomasi is said to be improving.  He was shot in the neck, but a college spokesperson says he now has some movement in his hand and one leg.

Detomasi is breathing without a respirator for about an hour and a half a day.

Colby Cain was shot in the shoulder and is undergoing physical therapy.

Cain and Askins plan to go back to school in January.

Boise Police have released this composite sketch of a man wanted for shooting three Northwest Lineman College students.

There is a $15,000 reward for anyone who can lead police to the shooting suspect.

Boise Police released a composite sketch of the wanted man.  The shooting happened on Labor Day in the 1200 block of Security Lane.

Police say the suspect approached the three young men outside a home and talked for about 15 minutes.

He left the area, and then returned 10 minutes later shooting each of the victims once.

Anyone who has any information is encouraged to call Boise Police or Crime Stoppers at 343-COPS.