Fayetteville man pleads guilty to attempted murder for shooting neighbor

Landon Schilling
Landon Schilling

FAYETTEVILLE — A Fayetteville man pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree murder Thursday for shooting a neighbor after a fight last year.

Landon Joseph Schilling, 23, of 931 S. Erika Ave. was sentenced in Washington County Circuit Court to 30 years at the Arkansas Department of Correction with 10 years suspended, leaving 20 years to serve, as part of a plea bargain. Schilling had been charged with attempted capital murder.

Schilling must serve at least one quarter of the sentence before becoming eligible for parole.

Schilling was arrested May 9, 2015 after Melvin Smith, 36, was shot while standing in his doorway at 1341 E. Fairlane St. in the early hours of the morning.

Smith’s wife and 11-year-old daughter were standing behind him when he was shot, according to a police report.

Smith was shot in the abdomen and taken to Washington Regional Medical Center.

Before going to the hospital, Smith told police he and a friend argued with residents at Schilling’s address because they had called them “racially offensive names,” according to a police report.

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