Sheriff And Police Chief Talk About Recent Rash Of Shootings In Great Falls.

In the past month Great Falls has had five separate shootings and it has caused  concern in the community.  We got comments from both the police chief and the sheriff which you can read below.

Here is a list of the shootings.

Feb 21.  14 year old shoots a 15 year old not far from Great Falls High.

March 7.  Great Falls police in shootout with suspect.  One officer injured. Suspect shot in head but survives.

March 16.  One man shot dead on 9th Avenue south.

March 17.  Woman shot to death.  Suspect later commits suicide.

March 20.  Man shot in arm.  Suspect then barricades himself in his home for five hours before surrendering.

At this weeks city commission meeting Police Chief Jeff Newton laid out his thoughts on what happened. Newton told commissioners and those in attendance that four of the five shootings involved people that new each other and two of the shootings involved drugs.  He says none of the shootings are related in any way.

The chief says his department is very tired because of all the energy put into investigations and crime scenes.  He says there are some things the community can do to help.

1.Keep supporting each other and the community.

2.  If you see something unusual, report it.

3. Get involved in your neighborhood Councils.

We talked to Sheriff Jesse Slaughter today and here's what he told us.  He says the shootings are nothing more than, "evil actors doing evil things."  We live in  free society and the unfortunate part is sometimes these type of things can happen, said the sheriff.  "There is nobody to blame but the shooter himself."  The sheriff, who spent 17 years with the Great Falls Police Department before becoming sheriff five years ago called the Great Falls Police Department, warriors for dealing with the rash of shootings in such a professional manner.