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Court documents provide additional info about Helena shooting

Central Helena shooting March 24
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HELENA - Court documents have provided additional information on a shooting spree in central Helena on March 24, 2023.

One of the two suspects, a 17-year-old, was set to be arraigned in district court in Helena Tuesday morning on seven felony charges including assault with a weapon and six counts of criminal endangerment.

MTN News is not identifying the individual at this time since they are a juvenile.

Police say by the time they finished their investigation they counted around 40 rounds shot into a half dozen buildings, including one person's home which forced that person to lie on the ground to avoid being shot.

According to the affidavit, police responded to multiple reports of shooting in the streets near Helena middle school around 4:00 a.m. on March 24. Reports came in from Billings Avenue, Townsend Avenue, Missoula Avenue and Idaho Street.

While responding, an officer driving down Lyndale noticed two individuals, one matching a description from a witness and holding a weapon described as a rifle.

When the suspects saw the police, the affidavit alleges they dropped the rifle in the street and ran, but stopped when ordered to the ground.

HPD said both of the suspects were under the age of 18, appeared intoxicated and one had a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the hand.

Investigators later learned the gun used in the shooting had been stolen from Great Falls.