EVARO – Four people were shot in a shooting spree two weeks ago that turned into a seven-hour manhunt in the Evaro area.
One of those victims, Shelley Hays, died while the three others are still recovering from those injuries.
Family, friends and residents gathered to continue to support and fundraise for Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Wade Palmer who was shot in the head, neck and chest.
He’s still fighting for his life in a Salt Lake City hospital this morning.
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“Everybody — they’re just like ‘what can I do to help? What can I do to help,?’ And they just pour right in the doors said Evaro Bar manager Edie Love.
Trooper Palmer was shot in the bar’s parking lot and on Sunday the Evaro Bar and Casino hosted a spaghetti dinner and live auction to benefit the family.
Friends, strangers and community members stopped by for food and drinks and left donations to support the injured trooper.
Evaro Bar employee Rachel Sween told MTN News she was up half the night cooking spaghetti for 300 people.
She added the incident was scary being so close to home, but she’s glad to do what she can to help.
“I’m very honored to meet the people and see the compassion on people,” Sween said. “And for people to come together and turn something really ugly into something beautiful.”
Jenna Netzer, who went to high school with Trooper Palmer, lives down the street from the bar. She says she was scared, but the benefit is helping her feel better.
“It was heartbreaking. It was pretty hard because I heard the shots and it happened literally right outside my house,” she said. “So to know that it was somebody that I knew at the same time — it hit pretty hard.”
Netzer and Sween both wanted to thank law enforcement for their efforts that night.
“I’m feeling okay. It’s great that the community — not just the Evaro community is coming together — but Missoula, Stevensville, Hamilton,” Netzer said.
“Everybody around is all coming together to support not just wade, but the other three victims as well,” she added.
