Seriously assault?  If someone shoots you in the knee cap one time that is assault.  Multiple shots all over the body is not assault that's attempted murder.  

The charges are almost as ridiculous as the situation.  Trigger happy idiots are as commonplace as the Internet nowadays.  I truly miss the days when folks had common sense and when situations or altercations could be handled with fists rather than guns.  (No words aren't always enough, but people are more likely to survive a fist fight than a shoot out, a lot less likely to injure innocent bystanders as well)