Suspects involved in St. Regis shooting were from Seattle

Mar. 20—The suspects in an armed robbery that ended in a police shooting in St. Regis, Montana, Saturday were from Seattle, according to the nearby Osburn, Idaho, police Chief Darell Braaten.

Police shot and killed one person, one was arrested and another, described as a hostage by the Mineral County Sheriff's Office, was injured. The identities of those involved have not been released as of Monday.

The incident started when a male walked into the gas station around 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Braaten said.

"When he was asked what he could be helped with, he presented a firearm and demanded money," he said. "He was provided with an undisclosed amount of money and left the 76 station. From that point, the Shoshone County Sheriff's Office began a pursuit."

Two other people were asleep in the suspect's car outside of the 76, Braaten said. The vehicle was reported stolen out of Seattle, he said.

Idaho deputies chased the vehicle to Montana, where the Montana Highway Patrol became involved, according to the Missoulian. The vehicle was found abandoned in St. Regis, and witnesses said they saw two people getting out of the car near the St. Regis Travel Center, the Mineral County Sheriff's Office told the Missoulian.

The first suspect was taken into custody without incident. The second suspect took a hostage, who was shot by the suspect after law enforcement arrived, the sheriff's office said. Law enforcement then shot and killed that suspect.

The hostage was taken to a hospital in Missoula.

Two other passengers were arrested near St. Regis and jailed on unrelated charges, Mineral County Sheriff Ryan Funke told the Missoulian.

The investigation into the shooting was turned over to the Montana Department of Criminal Investigations.

Braaten said it would take a while for information to be released.

The Mineral County Sheriff's Office hosted a debriefing Monday night at the St. Regis School.