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The man charged in a downtown shooting early this month has entered pleas during an initial appearance in Mower County District Court Thursday morning.

Hector Ubaldo Serrano Maldonado, 29, of Austin, pleaded not guilty to second degree attempted murder, first degree assault, second degree assault with a dangerous weapon causing substantial harm and second degree assault with a dangerous weapon in connection to a shooting that took place in the early hours of July 1 that sent two men to the hospital.

According to the court complaint, Police responded to Plaza Parking Lot, next to The Bakery at around 12:37 a.m. on July 1 on a report of an assault, however, when they arrived they discovered a male who had suffered gunshot wounds to his right thigh and left shoulder.

Later, police would discover a second man being treated at Mayo Clinic Health System-Austin, who had bullet fragments in his leg.

Witnesses on scene said the shooting began with an altercation between Serrano Maldonado and the first victim where the victim punched Serrano Maldonado, who then allegedly responded by pulling a gun from his waistband and shooting at the victim.

Witnesses also said 5-12 shots were fired, while the second victim told police that he heard at least six shots being fired.

Serrano Maldonado was eventually arrested at his residence in the 200 block of Seventh Street NW where ammunition and loaded handgun magazines were discovered. According to a press release issued by Chief David McKichan after the shooting, a handgun was also recovered.

The incident is the third shooting to take place in a month’s time. Denroy-Ashan Jeffers-Brown, 34, has been charged with attempted murder stemming from a shooting that took place on the morning of June 3. 

Then, three people — Manamany Omot Abella, 23, Cham Obang Oman, 28, and Jenup Steven Chop, 18 — have been charged with murder and attempted murder in the death of a man killed in a drive-by shooting on June 9.

A jury trial has been scheduled for Nov. 27.