Burglary charge upheld in Ranchos shooting

A Gardnerville Ranchos man shot when he ran into a neighbor’s home in May was bound over on Thursday on a burglary charge.

Christian Hennessy Gorham, 23, appeared in East Fork Justice Court on Thursday.

He was ordered to appear for arraignment in Douglas County District Court on Aug. 23.

Gorham was shot early on May 5 after he started banging on the window at the Alicia Circle home at 4:30 a.m., according to court documents.

After starting awake, the resident armed himself and let the dog out into the backyard.

Gorham ran into the home and backed the resident into a corner despite being warned, and was shot.

He ran into the bathroom claiming that his family was dead and someone was trying to kill him.

In court on May 8, Gorham said he didn’t intend to frighten the family. He said he was detoxing from alcohol and hallucinating.

Gorham had been awaiting trial at the time of the incident for violating a protection order by being in a home he’d been ordered to stay away from.

He has been in custody since he was medically cleared on a no-bail hold for the alternative sentencing violation.

On Thursday, the justice court judge found that there was sufficient evidence to believe a crime had been committed and slight or marginal evidence that Gorham committed it.

It is not a determination of guilt.

Gorham was the second man shot in Douglas County in two days.

David Francis, 34, was shot and killed by a Topaz Ranch Drive resident after he entered a home through a sliding glass door after waking the residents at 6 a.m.

Investigators said Francis ran out of gas. In neither case did the residents know the man who was shot.