Thirty-five-year-old Michael Hale, who was shot outside a trailer in north Redding earlier this year, testified Wednesday in Shasta County Superior Court.
Under oath Hale described the events that led up to the incident, and the subsequent gunshot injuries he suffered. The court found sufficient evidence to move forward with felony charges against the alleged shooter, 57-year-old Steven King.
Hale told the court that he approached King’s trailer on the evening of April 6, 2025, when a shotgun blast tore from behind King’s door and struck Hale’s right arm.
Michael Hale photo source: Facebook.
According to Hale, he had not knocked on King’s door, nor issued any threats before being shot. Hale said that following the shooting he used his belt as a tourniquet, and then fled the area in search of help.
Judge Daniel Flynn ruled that there was probable cause to hold King to answer on charges of attempted murder and assault with a firearm, along with enhancements for use of a firearm and infliction of great bodily injury. King is scheduled to be arraigned on August 7.
Steven King photo by Doni Chamberlain.
Hale testified that the day of the incident began with a motorcycle ride to Lakehead, followed by a stop at an eating and drinking establishment called The Basshole, where he drank one or two beers. Hale testified that he later met his friend Kenny Simon at Shasta Lanes bowling alley, where Hale consumed two beers and a shot. Though not completely certain, Hale acknowledged he may have also had a Bud Light earlier at All-Stars Bar in Anderson, where Hale said he briefly attempted to intervene in Simon’s unwelcome overtures toward a female bartender.
Hale recounted a convoluted tale regarding what happened after he and Simon left Shasta Lanes. The story started with a drive to the home of a mutual acquaintance, someone Hale described as a woman named Jen who’d been in a tumultuous previous relationship with Simon. Hale said on the way to Jen’s home, he texted his wife and asked her to text Jen and caution her to not open the door when Hale and Simon arrived.
When Jen followed Hale’s wife’s instruction and didn’t open the door for Hale and Simon, Hale said he then asked Simon to drive through a nearby trailer park, where he believed King lived. Hale identified the trailer by a distinctive truck, and testified that he had contacted Jesse Lane, who had previously obtained a restraining order against King, to confirm which trailer belonged to King.
Lane was able to provide information to Hale regarding King’s address because Lane had been to King’s trailer park in the past, something captured in a photograph by King.
Jesse Lane outside Steven King’s trailer. Photo courtesy of Steven King.
King’s prior issues with various far-right North State leaders
Last year, prior to Lane’s restraining order against King, King had failed in his attempt to seek restraining orders as protection from Lane, Carlos Zapata, and Richard Gallardo, all of whom King claimed terrorized him.
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- Jesse Lane
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- Carlos Zapata
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- Rich Gallardo
King provided proof of a written death threat from Zapata to King. A News Cafe verified the phone number as Zapata’s.
In September of 2023, A News Cafe reported an incident that involved Richard Gallardo, who allegedly showed up at King’s trailer to verbally torment King. Also in September of 2023, Zapata, along with Cottonwood Militia founder Woody Clenenden and others joked on their Red, White and Blueprint radio program about “visiting” King.
Richard Gallardo shines his flashlight into Steven King’s trailer in 2023 while yelling threats. Photo courtesy of Steven King.
Hale explains his visit to King’s trailer
On the witness stand Wednesday, Hale said he’d wanted to confront King about alleged online harassment tied to anonymous posts in a Facebook group called “530 Needs.” Hale testified that the group, originally intended for local commerce, had become a space for anonymous attacks and misinformation. Hale said that he believed King was behind a post that included a photo of King’s truck and mocking comments about Hale and his friends.
“I wanted to have a chat with him,” Hale testified. He denied carrying a weapon or threatening King, and said he had not even reached the trailer’s steps when the shot was fired through the door.
During cross-examination, Shasta County Public Defender Lindsay Stone pointed to inconsistencies in Hale’s testimony.
Shasta County Public Defender Lindsay Stone. Photo source: Facebook.
Stone introduced a Facebook post made earlier that day — April 6, 2025 — in which Hale appeared to verbally threaten King, stating that he and others had “already been” to King’s trailer park and might return. The post included, “Because here, in about three more beers, I’m not going to give a fuck.”
Hale acknowledged the post sounded like something he would write, but said it referred to wanting to “have a chat” with King. When asked about the line regarding “three more beers,” Hale responded, “I’m not going to give a fuck to show up and have a chat with him.”
Stone also questioned Hale’s memory of a hospital interview with law enforcement. Hale said he was under sedation at the time and did not remember being questioned. Hale denied telling police or a victim advocate that he had traveled on foot to King’s residence, or that he had been alone.
Hale initially said he didn’t have a phone, but later clarified that although he had a phone, he’d inadvertently left it in the vehicle after using it to contact Lane to ask for specific details about the location of King’s trailer.
Stone then broached the subject of illicit drug use, and asked whether Simon had used cocaine that night. Hale did not confirm using drugs on April 6, but responded, “Kenny always has coke on him.”
At one point Stone asked Hale about a prior battery conviction involving Hale’s father. Hale confirmed the incident, saying his father owed him $10,000. “I fully stand behind that battery,” Hale said. “I believe it was warranted.”
Despite some contradictions in Hale’s testimony, and his admission of alcohol use throughout the day, the court found sufficient cause to proceed to trial. Judge Flynn noted there was no objective evidence that King had been confronted with deadly force when he fired his weapon.
King remains in custody and will appear for arraignment on August 7, 2025.
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 9 a.m. to include hyperlinks and images related to previous ANC stories pertaining to King.
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