Montana Juveniles Arrested, Could Face Attempted Murder Charges

You know, when we hear about violent crimes we don't often imagine the crime being committed by a child. Unfortunately, that was exactly the case for an altercation between juveniles in Poplar on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation.

The incident left one 11-year-old boy in surgery and two others charged with serious crimes.

Fort Peck Tribal Law Enforcement Respond to Deadly Dispute

I came across multiple reports from Fort Peck Tribal Law Enforcement, Northern Plains Independent, and local news outlets like KRTV about an attack that took place on Monday, March 30th.

"On Monday, March 30th, 2026, law enforcement responded to a report of an incident between a number of juveniles in the Poplar area," Fort Peck Tribal Law Enforcement said on their Facebook page at the time, "The incident was also recorded and displayed on social media."

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"At this time, two juvenile suspects have been arrested and are in custody, and the incident is currently under investigation. There is no threat to the community."

According to sources including Northern Plains Independent and KRTV, the victim was an 11-year-old boy who suffered "deep lacerations to his right knee" and will require surgery to repair his knee.

KRTV reports that a "12-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl have been arrested in connection with the attack."

Montana Could Enforce the Law to the Full Extent

Because the suspects in custody are above the age of twelve, a county attorney can file charges directly in district (adult) court for a youth aged 12 or older accused of attempted deliberate homicide according to Montana Code Annotated (MCA) § 41-5-206.

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That means for this particular offense, no prior youth court hearing is required, and the suspects could be charged as adults for attempted murder.

This means if the book is thrown at them and they're convicted; the suspects could face up to twenty years behind bars.