3 killed in Montana casino shooting; suspect killed by police
An overnight shooting Tuesday at a Montana casino left three people dead and another person injured, officials said. The suspect was later tracked down and killed by police.
The shooting happened about 2 a.m. at the Emerald City Casino in Great Falls, along one of the city's main commercial strips, according to a statement from the Great Falls Police Department. Police found the bodies of three victims inside the casino when they arrived.
They searched for the shooter for more than three hours until the suspect was found by officers in a residential neighborhood about a mile away. The suspect was fatally shot by officers at about 5:45 a.m, according to the police statement.
CBS Montana affiliate KRTV said police have not released the names of the victims or the suspects nor their cause of the death. Authorities urge residents to avoid the area but said there isn't any danger to the public.
Tom Moore, the superintendent of Great Falls Public Schools, said it happened behind an elementary school. "The response from the Great Falls Police Department was almost immediate," Moore told the Great Falls Tribune.
The injured person was admitted to Benefis Hospital for unspecified injuries, police said.
A hospital spokeswoman, Kaci Husted, said the injured person was in stable condition in the intensive care unit. She did not have additional details and his or her identity have not be released.
Emerald City Casinos own a chain of restaurants and bars with gambling machines in Great Falls and other Montana locations. A call to the casino where the shooting happened rang unanswered Tuesday morning.
The elementary school near where police killed the suspect canceled classes and postponed a K-3 grade concert. The school district deployed a team of mental health professionals for students, parents and community members. Anyone with information can submit anonymous tips via phone or online.
