Hitchhiker writing book on kindness shot in Mont.

CBS/AP

(CBS/AP) BILLINGS, Mont. - A man hitchhiking across the country and writing a memoir called "The Kindness of America" was shot along a rural highway near northeastern Montana's booming Bakken oil patch, authorities said Monday.

Raymond Dolin, 39, of West Virginia, was shot in the arm by a man he didn't know, CBS Affiliate KTVQ reports.

The drive-by shooting occurred around 6 p.m. Saturday night at a historical marker on Highway 2 west of Glasgow.

Authorities say Dolin sustained a single gunshot wound in the arm, but was able to flag down help and was then transported to the hospital in Glasgow.

A 52-year-old Washington man, Lloyd Danielson III, was arrested about four hours later near Culbertson. Authorities said he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol and apparently headed to Williston, N.D., for work tied to the oil boom.

Valley County authorities say Danielson pulled up alongside Dolin and shot him, then left the scene in a maroon pickup.

"It appears to be an absolute random event," said Valley County Sheriff Glen Meier. "They did not know each other. They did not have a confrontation. He just drove up there and shot him. We're unclear as to why."

Danielson is being held on the suspicion of felony assault with a weapon and DUI. He will be transported back to Glasgow on Monday.

Danielson's criminal history in Washington state includes intimidation and assault, Meier said. Details were not immediately available.

The shooting follows another random attack earlier this year in which a 43-year-old teacher from nearby Sidney, Mont., was allegedly kidnapped and killed by two Colorado men on their way to the Bakken.

As the men await trial on charges stemming from Sherry Arnold's death, the case has stoked fears that a once-quiet corner of Montana has been irreversibly altered by the oil boom.

But Meier said Danielson's quick arrest by deputies in Roosevelt County 100 miles away from the shooting shows law enforcement is keeping up with any changes.

"We're still the wonderful people in Montana we've always been, and we'll get through this," Meier said. "Things are going to happen whether there's the Bakken or not."

Dolin was expected to recover and was being treated at Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital in Glasgow. A nurse said Monday he was not taking calls or accepting messages.

[ironpony33]

Guess this to will be blamed on the GOP. Remember, people hurt other people with what ever weapon they have, not just guns. Also remember, there are more alcohol caused deaths in the US every year than gun caused deaths. Also remember, there are more people killed by violations of the driving laws than by guns every year. Lets banned all cars and save all those lives. Get off your high horse and think beyond your little 9 dots before you speak your opinion in public.

[psrd]

The writer is not too well school in geography. Even in Montana the `4` miles between Glasgow and Sidney mean Sidney is "nearby". With a Billings dateline the writer should know better. I haven't lived in Montana for 50 years and I still remember enough geography to realize the two aren't near each other.

[psrd]

Typing has suffered in the past 50 years. The writer should have been better schooled in Montana geography and it's 141 miles between the two towns. And I need to proofread better.

[stevex47]

Evil gun dealers love to sell to psycho's !

Very American of them.

[Bojax39]

"He just drove up there and shot him. We're unclear as to why."

Guess he just wasn't a kind person.

[ToolMangler1]

And then you have the real nut-cases that drive by and hit you as you walk on the side of the road..

[audemus]

Yet another senseless, gun-related act of idiotic violence....how many more of these will this country tolerate before a radical solution is implemented ? The irony of someone who's writing a book on the "kindness" of America, being randomly shot by a passer-by, in of all places, Montana, is almost the stuff of fiction....almost.

I once believed that the possession of firearms was the absolute right of any American who could be trusted to be responsible in their use...even going so far as to advocate the legality of carrying concealed weapons for self-defensive measures...I no longer believe this. There is now solid evidence that CCW actually increases crime.

Just look at the Texas CCW law--a law enacted in 1995. Since its implementation, Texas LICENSE HOLDERS have been arrested for 5,314 crimes, ( and these statistics are a few years old ), crimes including murder, kidnapping, rape and theft...not only that, but Texas CCW holders have been arrested for weapons-related crimes at a rate 81 % HIGHER than that of the states' general population. More than 400 criminals--including rapists and armed robbers have been issued CCW permits....thousands of these permit holders have been arrested for criminal behavior or found to be mentally unstable....most of these crimes being commited AFTER they got their permits.

Not to pick on Texas...in Florida to date, more than 1,400 individuals who've pled guilty or no contest to felonies, have been issued CC permits. Among those "qualified" American citizens exercising their Second Amendment rights, are people with active domestic violence injunctions against them, and even registered sex offenders. These are only two states, similar statistical facts exist for other places as well. ( unfortunately )
So much for the "effectiveness" of the screening process....

Here is some statistical information I found to be especially troubling. The United States leads the industrialized world in murder, suicide and accidental deaths and children's deaths by guns. Living in a home where there are guns actually increases the risk of homicide by 40 to 170 % and the risk of suicide by 90 to 460 %. Guns in the house are more likely to be involved in fatal or non-fatal unintentional shooting, criminal assaults or suicide attempts, than to be used in self-defense.

Every day that goes by, we have indisputable proof, that we cannot be trusted with guns. The days of Wyatt Earp and Jessie James are over....unfortunately what has taken their place is even more insane.

I wish Mr. Dolin a speedy recovery, and I, speaking for only this one American citizen, apologize.

[justinsmithit]

Yet another senseless, alcohol-related act of idiotic violence...how many more of these will this country tolerate before a radical solution is implemented?

[Bojax39]

by audemus: "I once believed that the possession of firearms was the absolute right of any American who could be trusted to be responsible in their use...even going so far as to advocate the legality of carrying concealed weapons for self-defensive measures...I no longer believe this. There is now solid evidence that CCW actually increases crime."

So, when did you decide to become a slave rather that a free American with rights of self protection? I hope the castration was quick.

[TheInsidesofMonsters]

I'm currently hitchhiking around the U.S. I'm on day 35 and I've only had one gun pulled on me. Cheers! You can check out some of my write-ups of the people I have met on http://theinsidesofmonsters.wordpress.com/

[maiingan]

Maybe the people of Montana are as wonderful as always, but the bad guys in this news story are from Washington and Colorado. These crimes are scarier than the ones in the old TV westerns, in which they at least seemed to make some sense, even in the mining boomtowns.

[Choons]

sounds like something a wacked out teenager would do, not a 52 year old man. I would dig deep into his past looking at unsolved murders. I bet he's been doing stuff like this a long time. Police should shake down that oil field as well- seems like it has become an underground railroad for criminals

[Bojax39]

Or, you could deep into his brain looking for tumors or chemical imbalances or something. It just makes no sense for somebody to go that radical so late in life without some chemical or emotional or physical cause.

[skeezix06]

Considering how the poor have been demonized by the far right over the past 30 or more years this isn't surprising.

[Rafterman11]

Twenty years ago, this book would have made sense. But in today's "I got mine, nothing for you" America, where corporations are considered people and people are considered inconveniences, the idea about the "Kindness of America" is a joke.

[RobinHarbron]

New book title: "Only Shot Once: The Kindness of America"

[displeased2]

LOL

[ralphing]

Next title: How to travel the country and only get shot once a day.