KALISPELL — More details have been released in connection with a deadly shooting in Martin City on Saturday, August 27, 2022.
Del Orrin Crawford of Kila, 40 years old, is being held in the Kalispell jail on charges of deliberate homicide, attempted deliberate homicide, and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.
Charging documents state that the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office received several calls regarding a shooting at the Southfork Saloon in Martin City at 1 a.m. on Saturday.
Deputies arrived and saw 33-year old Doug Crosswhite on the road in front of the bar with a tourniquet around his arm and a seal on his chest wound.
Deputies also saw 28-year-old Whisper Dawn Mari Sellars of Hungry Horse receiving CPR on the ground with a chest wound.
Sellars died at the scene, and Crosswhite was taken to Logan Health in Kalispell for further medical treatment.
Witness Chelsea Bauska — who had been performing CPR on Sellars — was interviewed by officers at the scene.
According to charging documents, Bauska said the incident began when Crawford saw some people trying to start a golf cart outside of the bar and the situation escalated.
Bauska said she tried to de-escalate the situation, but Crawford and Sellars got into an argument with pushing and shoving.
Bauska said that Crawford fired his gun, hitting Sellars and Crosswhite.
Deputies talked with another witness — Bradley Crosswhite — who stated Sellars and Alicia Crosswhite were sitting on the golf cart taking pictures when they were confronted by Crawford. Bradley said that Crawford, Sellars, and Alicia began to argue. He said Crawford pushed Sellars and Alicia. She said Doug pushed Crawford in response.
Bradley said Crawford fell backward, got up, pulled a handgun from his waistline, and began shooting.
Crawford was found on South Fork Road and arrested.
Robert Crosswhite, the father of Douglas, created a GoFundMe; it states, in part:
Doug and his wife Whisper were both shot in Martin City in the early morning hours after a senseless verbal dispute in which a coward of a man pushed my daughter inlaw after which my son pushed him. This man then pulled a gun and shot them both. My daughter inlaw died within minutes. My son Doug spent the next 8hrs in surgery fighting for his life. He will have a long road of recovery and enormous medical expenses as well as funeral costs on top of taking care of his 5 children.
Click here if you would like to donate.
Charging documents state Crawford told the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office over the phone he had fired his weapon in self-defense.
Charging documents state that Crawford refused to tell law enforcement where the firearm was located, saying, "it was in a safe place and the officers would not find it.”
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