More than 700 people have purchased $20 tickets for the Aug. 12 event, Cotnoir said yesterday.

Organizers of the benefit, a half-dozen of Cotnoir's close friends, originally hoped to have the event inside Methuen's Knights of Columbus Hall at 462 Broadway. But because of the size of the crowd already, the fundraiser will be in the field behind the club, Cotnoir said yesterday.

He said he's expecting an overwhelming turnout, which will be attended by supporters from "age 1 to 80."

"I've received calls from all over the world," said Cotnoir, referring to support he's received both before the trial and after the not guilty verdict handed down on June 29.

Proceeds from next month's fundraiser will defray more than $50,000 in legal costs Cotnoir racked up defending himself against criminal charges leveled against him after the Aug. 13, 2005, shooting. Cotnoir said he borrowed money from his parents' retirement funds in order to pay the bills, and he now hopes to reimburse them.

"We're trying to recoup those costs," he said.

Local notables who will attend the event will include Scott Allen Miller of WRKO fame and his band, Red State, and "myself," said Cotnoir, noting he's now "somewhat infamous" in the Merrimack Valley.

Tammy Bruce, a national radio talk show host based in Los Angeles, sent Cotnoir a check for $1,000 in the days after his arrest. On air, Bruce, who described herself as "openly gay, pro-choice, gun owning, pro-death penalty, voted-for-President Bush progressive feminist," also urged her listeners to help Cotnoir out financially. But other than her check, which he appreciated, Cotnoir said he has not received any other donations from high-profile celebrities.

So far, between Bruce's donation and the sale of tickets to the fundraiser, he has $15,000 in his defense fund.

Cotnoir, who lives with his wife and two daughters above the Racicot Funeral Home at 256 Broadway, fired a single shot from his Winchester 12-gauge pump shotgun at a rowdy crowd that gathered below his bedroom window early that summer morning.

Two Lowell residents, Lisette Cumba, 16, and Kelvin Castillo, 21, suffered neck and leg injuries when the bullet ricocheted off the pavement. They were both treated for injuries at area hospitals and were out of work for about a month afterward.

On June 29, a Salem Superior Court jury acquitted Cotnoir of two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, a shotgun, and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building. Tearful jurors hugged Cotnoir as he left the courthouse with his family.

While he was found not guilty, Lawrence police Chief John Romero last week refused to reinstate Cotnoir's gun permit. He was stripped of his license to carry after his arrest. Following the trial, he tried to get the permit back. However, the chief said he does not feel Cotnoir has the proper judgment or is responsible enough to hold a license to carry a firearm. Cotnoir said he plans to appeal Romero's decision to a Lawrence District Court judge.

In 2005, Cotnoir was named Marine Corps Times' Man of the Year.