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Heard tonight that he was from Utah.
I luv herfrds":1lq6uzpf said:Heard tonight that he was from Utah.
Authorities name Glasgow shooter, describe him as 'recluse'
By KIM SKORNOGOSKI • Tribune Staff Writer • January 23, 2009
The man who shot at a Glasgow hospital, killing one woman and injuring two other people, lived in Glasgow since 2005, but kept to himself to the point that few people in the town of 3,200 even knew his name, authorities said Thursday.
Investigators identified the shooter as Roger Lynn Sellers, 42.
Sellers had no job and was rarely seen outside of the house he rented at 110 6th Ave. N. Investigators said he was born in Weber County, Utah, and lived mostly in the Salt Lake City area.
Great Falls' Don Resseguie, who owns the Glasgow house Sellers rented, said Sellers shared very little about his background, saying only that he had no family and he moved to Glasgow because he visited the town with his family as a child.
"I think you could tell everybody in Glasgow his name and I doubt anybody in Glasgow would recognize it," Resseguie said. "He just never interacted with people."
John Strandell, head of the state Division of Criminal Investigation, said Sellers had no identification on him when he died after two gunbattles with responding officers. Investigators learned his name when they ran his fingerprints through a nationwide law enforcement database.
It then took two days to find his surviving family. Officers searched the house he was renting Wednesday and discovered documents that led them to Sellers' brother.
"Not many people in Glasgow knew him," Strandell said. "He wasn't very friendly to people and was very reclusive."
Strandell said state investigators wrapped up work on the crime scenes Thursday and returned to Helena, where they will continue to search for a motive behind the sniper-style shooting.
On Saturday, Sellers, who was perched behind a gravel slope, fired shots at Melissa Greenhagen, an emergency medical technician, as she walked to her vehicle in the Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital parking lot after returning from an ambulance call.
She died after being shot once in the chest.
A nurse and her husband, Suzanne and Scott Billingsley, ran to Greenhagen's aid and were both hit by shots fired by Sellers. A bullet struck Suzanne Billingsley in the back and shattered her foot, while other bullets went through Scott Billingsley's hand and hip. They were both treated at the hospital and are recovering.
Officers responded to the report of gunfire around 4:30 p.m. Saturday, and fired shots at Sellers until he fled wounded. More than 50 federal, tribal, state, county and city officers swarmed the town, locking it down for hours until dogs tracked Sellers' trail along the Milk River banks and a second gunbattle occurred.
The Montana State Crime Lab is still comparing Sellers' wounds with weapons found at the scene to see if officers killed Sellers or if he shot himself.
Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital spokesman Nickolas Dirkes said there are no records showing Sellers ever received care there or at any of its clinics.
"At this time, we have uncovered no motive for the shootings, and no connection between the suspect and his victims at the hospital has been established," Glasgow Police Chief Lynn Erickson said.
Sellers lived on the opposite end of town from the hospital, where his home was surrounded by trees, open fields and few neighbors. Resseguie heard that Sellers occasionally fished behind the hospital, but mostly spent all his time in his house.
Sellers paid his rent on time, dropping off a money order in Resseguie's mother's mailbox, usually at night, the landlord said.
The reclusive behavior was odd enough that Resseguie searched Sellers name on the Internet at one point, but didn't find anything suspicious.
Jeff Knodel, owner of Eugene's Pizza in Glasgow, said Sellers never came into the popular restaurant and that when Knodel passed Sellers on the street, the man didn't even return a "hello."
"Nobody ever knew anything about him," Knodel said. "I never saw him with anybody. I had nothing against the guy, but he's probably where he should be. It's a difficult time here in Glasgow."
Though little is known about the suspect, learning his identity helped bring some closure to the tragedy for the victims' co-workers.
"Learning the identity of the person that committed such senseless acts brings some sense of resolution as we work toward returning the facility to normal operations," Dirkes said.
Erickson and Valley County Sheriff Glen Meier said the information released Thursday would be the last divulged until a coroner's inquest, which won't be scheduled until after state investigators complete their reports.
In accordance with state law, coroner's inquests are conducted by a neighboring county coroner whenever law enforcement officers are involved in a death. A citizen jury, the coroner and Valley County Attorney Kenneth Oster will be allowed to ask witnesses and investigators questions during the inquest to determine if the officers acted accordingly.
"We understand the intense interest in this case and appreciate the community's continued support and patience as our investigation continues," Erickson said.
A Glasgow police officer and Valley County deputy were put on administrative leave following Sellers' death, as is policy. The deputy later was allowed to return to work.
Valley County commissioners ordered courthouse flags lowered to half-staff in honor of Greenhagen, who worked full time as the clerk of District Court in addition to her work as an EMT.
Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts planned to wear their uniforms and black armbands to school today as a tribute to the troop leader. She also was an active volunteer with the Hi-Line Hockey Association and the Fort Peck Theatre.
A Glasgow native, Greenhagen, 37, was married to Craig Greenhagen for 17 years. The couple has three sons and a daughter.
Her funeral services are Saturday.
Glasgow shootings' emergency response workers honored
By ZACH BENOIT
Of The Gazette Staff
The memory of a shooting that left one woman dead and two others injured outside of Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital two months ago is still fresh in the minds of Glasgow residents. But they may have taken the next step this afternoon in coping with the tragedy.
Hundreds of people came out to honor about 100 law enforcement officials and other emergency personnel who responded to the Jan. 17 shooting. Nickolas Dirkes, the hospital's marketing director, said more than 20 agencies were honored, including local law enforcement, fire departments and sheriff's offices from surrounding counties, FBI, Border Patrol and EMS crews.
"There was a real sincere appreciation for all everyone had done, and a respect to all those that served and the families of those involved," Dirkes said.
Killed in the shooting was Melissa Greenhagen, 37, an emergency medical technician at the hospital. The shooter, Roger Lynn Sellers, 42, died in a gun battle with law enforcement later that evening. Authorities have not released a motive for the shootings, and a coroner's inquest is expected to begin later this spring. Dirkes said a speech from Glasgow Police Chief Lynn Erickson was especially poignant. Erickson gave a special recognition to Glasgow residents Scott and Suzanne Billingsley, who were wounded in the shooting.
"That was special," Dirkes said. "They got a standing ovation from the whole crowd. That was a pretty touching moment."
After a presentation by the National Guard and performance of "The Star Spangled Banner," Gov. Brian Schweitzer spoke briefly, followed by Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock, a representative from Sen. Max Baucus' office and Erickson. The names of more than 100 responders were read, and each was given a certificate and pin by the city of Glasgow.
The city organized the event as a way to say thank you to everyone who helped, Dirkes said.
"It was a chance for everyone to come together and show their appreciation and gratitude," he said. "People are trying to get back to their lives and back to the process of living, but it'll be in the back of people's minds forever. You have to move forward."
article and pictures:
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles ... onored.txt
A Time of Recognition and Appreciation
Tuesday, March 17th 2009
March 17, 2009
Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer and Attorney General Steve Bullock will speak at the Service Recognition Ceremony to be held March 19, 2009 at 2PM at the Glasgow Civic Center. The ceremony will recognize the law enforcement agencies and community individuals who were involved in the tragedy which occurred in Glasgow on January 17, 2009.
The Montana Army National Guard will present the colors and the Boy Scouts will serve as ushers. Rev Jay Ashbaucher will give the invocation, and Jessica Mehling and Glasgow High School Choir will sing the National Anthem. Randall Holom, CEO of Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital will serve as the master of ceremonies. Glasgow Police Chief Lynn Erickson will express his appreciation to the communities for their support.
A special pin and/or certificate will be presented to the individuals who responded to the event by Mayor Dan Carney, Dave Pippin, Valley County Commissioner, Tim Nixdorf, Nemont, Doris Franzen, Ret. Glasgow Police Sec., Emery Brelje, Ret. Glasgow Police Chief, and Dick Britzman, Ret. Valley County Sheriff. The GHS Choir will sing a closing song. Refreshments will be provided by area churches and FMDH. The community is invited to attend the Service Recognition Ceremony.
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Glasgow Inquest Jury Finds Gunman's Death by Federal Agent Justified
By GREG TUTTLE
Of The Gazette Staff
GLASGOW � Seven hours after a gunman killed one woman and injured two others during an attack at Glasgow's Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital, a team of officers tracked him in the dark through the snow and found him hiding in a remote stand of trees near the Milk River. The man refused to surrender and was shot down by a female federal agent when he charged with a knife.
The federal agent, Bureau of Land Management Ranger Alexandra Burke, was found by a coroner's inquest jury on Tuesday to have been justified in the use of deadly force that ended a random shooting spree by a man whose motive still remains a mystery.
After hearing eight hours of testimony at the Valley County Courthouse, the jury of five men and one woman returned with a verdict 30 minutes after beginning deliberations. The panel determined that the gunman, Roger Sellers, died on Jan. 17, 2009, by a gunshot and the death was a justifiable homicide.
The inquest hearing, required by state law and presided over by Fergus County Coroner Dick Brown, included testimony from numerous law enforcement officers from several agencies who converged on the city after hearing that a gunman had attacked the hospital, killing one person and wounding two others. The hearing was the first full public account of the incident following a decision by local authorities to release little information until the inquest. Scott and Suzanne Billingsley, the couple who were injured by gunfire, also testified, describing a chaotic scene when they realized they were under fire in the hospital parking lot.
Killed at the hospital was 37-year-old Melissa Greenhagen, whose body was discovered by Scott Billingsley as he drove through the parking lot. He ran back the emergency room to summon help, he said, thinking that Greenhagen had slipped on the ice and hit her head.
But when he and his wife, who worked as a hospital nurse, ran to Greenhagen, they were both hit by gunfire. Suzanne Billingsley said she told her husband she thought she had been hit by a paintball gun.
"I couldn't believe someone was actually shooting at us," she testified.
But Scott Billingsley said he knew immediately he had been hit by gunfire. He told his wife it was not a paint ball gun and that he'd been hit. The couple took cover, with Suzanne jumping into the cab of Greenhagen's pickup and Scott getting behind his Chevrolet Subur-ban parked just feet away.
As bullets hit around them, Suzanne Billingsley said she felt "very exposed and uncomfortable." She had taken a .22-caliber bullet in the side, while her husband was hit in the hip.
Scott Billingsley said he grabbed a 9 mm handgun from his rig and yelled at the gunman to drop his weapon. He could see the man about 80 yards away, he said, near a sand pile. He also called 911, but told the jury he does not remember making the call, which was recorded at 4:47 p.m.
"He's shooting and I'm shooting back," Scott Billingsley told the 911 dispatcher.
Scott Billingsley said he fired once with the pistol, saw the bullet hit near the gunman and decided to grab his hunting rifle. As he began to take aim, the gunman continued to fire, hitting Suzanne Billingsley a second time in the foot. Officers then began arriving, and two said they fired rifle shots at the gunman. Valley County Deputy William Soper said he thought he struck the gunman in the shoulder.
An autopsy later revealed Sellers suffered a serious gunshot wound to his left hand.
The gunman disappeared toward the Milk River behind the hospital, and officers eventually found a bloody backpack and a large dog tied to a tree near the riverbank. An officer on the roof of the hospital reported his suspicion that the gunman may be hiding in a van parked nearby. After a delay, officers threw tear gas into the van. Sellers was no longer in the van, but he had left behind his rifle and other clues, including footprints in the snow.
U.S. Border Patrol Agent Phillip Wright testified that he found the footprints and began tracking Sellers through the snow. Occasionally, he also came across drops of blood and blood smears where Sellers had crossed a fence or fallen down.
As the night grew dark and the city remained locked down, Wright met up with Burke and two other officers near a farmhouse about a mile from the hospital. One of the officers, Daniel McKee of the Fort Peck Tribal Police, had his canine dog. The fourth officer was Lt. Brian Erwin, also of the tribal police department.
All four officers testified about how they tracked the gunman through the snow in the dark night using flashlights. Wright said he eventually found Sellers standing by a tree near the river. He could see a knife, and Sellers refused his commands to drop the weapon.
Instead, Sellers began to run toward him, slipped in the snow and fell. McKee let go his dog, which bit Sellers on the jacket. Sellers hit the dog, breaking a tooth, then continued toward the officers. All four were yelling at him to drop the knife and get down.
"It was obvious his intentions were to harm somebody," Wright said.
At one point, Sellers told the officers to shoot him. He then charged Burke and McKee.
McKee said he stepped to his left and fired one pistol shot that missed. Almost immediately, Burke fired a single blast from a 12-gauge shotgun loaded with buckshot. Sellers went down and died almost immediately.
Burke said she had no choice but to fire.
"I remember thinking, he didn't stop and I need to shoot," Burke told the jury.
It was 11:30 p.m.
Sellers' motive remains unknown. Glasgow Police Chief Bruce Barstad said a search of Sellers' rental house revealed knives and other bladed weapons, as well as "religious to somewhat violent" writings. He described the writings as "gibberish and sporadic." Noth-ing in the house proved a clue to the shootings.
Sellers was raised in Utah, Barstad said, joined the military and married a woman in Germ any. He returned to Utah after his discharge and was divorced from his wife, who eventually married his brother. Sellers moved to Glasgow about two years before the shooting and was a recluse, talking little to anyone. He had been seen in the days before the shooting walking a large dog.
Montana Department of Criminal Investigation Agent Mark Hilyard led the investiga-tion into the shooting. He, too, said Sellers' motive remains unknown. Greenhagen was not targeted, he said, and Sellers actions appear to suggest he wanted to die by "suicide by cop."
"I can't give a definite answer as to why this happened," he said.