Great Falls Police Track Down Armed Suspects Following Shooting

I've regularly talked about the amazing work done by our police here in Great Falls and don't get me wrong - they're amazing!

But we can't necessarily give them all the credit. Allow me to explain...

Who Is Helping Great Falls Police?

While it's the police who can officially conduct business as officers of the law, they have a lot of help and I'm sure they would have no issue with admitting that.

Why? Because it's the community. The people here. The ones I've mentioned regularly when talking about the people here in Great Falls looking out for each other.

In a press release from Great Falls PD released this afternoon (4/22), they shared how the community helped them track down the people responsible for bullet shell casings found near 33rd St N and 2nd Ave N.

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"Yesterday (4/21/26) at approximately 12:05AM, 911 dispatchers received several reports from community members in the area of 33rd St N and 2nd Ave N, after they heard gunfire outside their homes," Great Falls PD said in their statement, "Officers responded and found shell casings about a block away but no vehicles or people in the area."

"Officers reviewed surveillance footage from multiple residents and spoke to several neighbors. The video footage affirmed approximately 8 rounds were fired before a light-colored passenger car fled the area."

That's a pretty alarming scenario, don't you think? Also, how do these officers know they're not going to run into an armed and dangerous individual?

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I mean, I have to imagine an officer responding to a call where they find empty bullet casings with no one around is the equivalent to a hunter finding a fresh pile of grizzly bear poo.

Danger could be lurking around - you just don't know what you could be getting yourself into, you know?

A little later, a wave of support from the community led police a little closer to their suspect(s).

Great Falls Police Track Down Suspects

About an hour and a half later, Great Falls police received a tip from a business that a couple was "physically fighting" near the business.

"Approximately an hour and a half later, at 1:30AM, officers were dispatched to a business in the 1400 block of 10th Ave S for a disturbance," Great Falls police shared, "The caller reported a male and a female, in a light-colored vehicle, were physically fighting."

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"The vehicle left the business just prior to officers arriving. But, with the caller’s help, officers located the vehicle a short distance away and performed a traffic stop."

You have to love the teamwork between citizen and law enforcement, am I right? But what about that traffic stop? Well, luckily, officers were able to maintain control of the situation, and it did not escalate.

Great Falls Police Make Arrests, Prevent Crash & More

"The vehicle was occupied by several people, including 22-year-old Ethan Hathway and a 17-year-old juvenile male," police said, "Hathway and the juvenile were each found to be in possession of a handgun."

"Ammunition that matched what was found at the scene near 33rd St N and 2nd Ave N, earlier in the night, was also present. Officers interviewed those involved."

Police said they cited the 17-year-old with a trio of misdemeanors including "operating a vehicle while having a blood alcohol concentrate of 0.02% or greater, under 21 years of age, careless driving, and carrying concealed weapon while under the influence."

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Once he was cited, he was released to his parents... man, someone's getting grounded.

As for Hathaway, he was arrested and taken to jail with a pair of misdemeanor charges that include "Negligent Endangerment (engaging in conduct that created a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury)" and "Weapons – use of prohibited (unlawful discharge of a weapon within the city limits of Great Falls)."

Seriously, shout out to everyone involved who worked together to prevent this scenario from getting much worse. None of us know what they would have gotten into later whether it involve their guns, driving under the influence, or who knows what else.

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"We appreciate the cooperation of the community members affected by the gunshots, and their quick action to provide witness accounts and video footage," Great Falls police said.

"We also commend the Town Pump employee who reported the disturbance. Working together, we were able to resolve both incidents and possibly prevent a vehicle crash."