BILLINGS - Nathan Pretty Weasel, 18 years old, made his initial court appearance on Tuesday, September 20, 2022, accused of shooting two other teenagers during a violent late-night encounter on the Billings Rims.
Pretty Weasel was arrested following a shooting that happened sometime after 3 a.m. on Saturday atop the Billings Rims during an encounter between two groups of teenagers. Prosecutors said in charging documents that police were first notified of the incident when two people were admitted to Billings Clinic for gunshot wounds.
Authorities identified the victims as an 18-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl. Both were injured when a single bullet passed through the man's body and then struck the girl, court records state.
In a statement at the hospital, the girl told police that she and her boyfriend were hanging out on the Rims since about midnight along with another young couple.
An argument erupted among another group of teens, she said. A confrontation happened when the victims attempted to protect a 16-year-old girl from getting attacked, court records state, and after a brief calm a male "suddenly produced a gun" and fired a single shot that struck both victims.
Police used a video from a witness to the shooting to identify Pretty Weasel, who was arrested at a residence on Lapin Street, court records state. A firearm and holster and clothing matching the description of those worn by the shooter were recovered during a search of the house, court records state.
Weasel pleaded not guilty at his arraignment to two felony counts of assault with a weapon. He is being held at the Yellowstone County jail.
Yellowstone County District Court Judge Michael Moses set bail in the case after noting that the court calendar for the day had three separate but similar cases involving young adults and violence. The judge said the amount of recent violent activity in the community was "just shocking."
"These firearms and dangerous weapons are literally killing this community and it should be unacceptable," the judge said.
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