GREAT FALLS — UPDATE: Suspect identified and charged - click here.
A man was arrested early Saturday, October 22, 2022, after he reportedly began firing a gun "aimlessly" following an "alcohol-fueled" fight at Jackson Hot Springs Lodge.
The identity of the suspect has not yet been released.
The Beaverhead County Sheriff's Office said in a news release that just after 1 a.m. the Beaverhead County 911 Center received numerous 911 calls regarding an active shooter at the Jackson Hot Springs Lodge. Callers said there were believed to be two gunmen possibly armed with shotguns that were shooting the Lodge from the outside, and another man might be involved as well. Callers also said that some of the suspects may have driven away.
Beaverhead County Sheriff’s Deputies, Dillon Police Department Officers, Montana Highway Patrol Troopers, and Wisdom Ambulance responded to Jackson. In total 11 law enforcement personnel responded to the scene.
Once officers arrived at the scene, one armed suspect was quickly detained. Officers continued searching and securing the area trying to locate the possible second gunman.
During the investigation it was determined that this incident started after an alcohol-fueled fight took place in the Lodge, and the men were asked to leave. The men left and one returned from his cabin with a pistol and began firing at the Lodge.
The man continue firing aimlessly, according to the Sheriff's Office, and he was wandering around the area until he was apprehended by officers. During this time he forced his way into two occupied cabins near the Lodge.
The investigation determined there had only been one shooter and the others in his party were not involved. The suspect was arrested and booked into the Beaverhead County Detention Center pending several felony charges.
Three loaded firearms were recovered, seized, and found to have either been used or had been prepared for use by the suspect.
The news release from Undersheriff David Wendt states:
The Beaverhead County Sheriff’s Office would like to give a special thanks to all the Officers who responded in a quick and coordinated manner, and the various agencies who sent resources to aid. We would also like to thank our Dispatch team, including the off shift ones who came in to lend a helping hand. They showed their true skills in fielding multiple 911 calls, coordinating with other agencies, and manning all of the radio traffic in the near four hour event. We could not have done it without you. And last but not least, thank you to the staff of the Jackson Hot Springs Lodge whose quick thinking to lock the doors, and watch the event on live camera footage giving responding Officers a first hand knowledge of the situation, kept lives safe. Not a single person was injured during the incident and everyone returned to their families safely.
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