Yellowstone County Sheriff deputies and Montana Highway Patrol respond to a residence shooting on Thunderstick Road off of Highline Canal Road near Ballantine Monday evening. To the left, a Help Flight helicopter waited on the ground for about 15-20 minutes before leaving empty because the victim died at the scene. (photo by Jonathan McNiven)
by Judy Killen – of the Yellowstone County News
BALLANTINE — One person is dead after an apparent shooting in Ballantine Monday night.
The victim of the shooting at the residence on Thunderstick road is identified as Wesley Sindelar, age 35 from Ballantine.
Yellowstone County Sheriff Mike Linder has identified a suspect in the shooting: James D. Sindelar age 73, of Ballantine, who is currently being held in the Yellowstone County Detention Facility on felony negligent homicide.
“It’s a tragedy in the community,” Linder said.
SINDEELAR James-Douglas
In a press release, Linder said sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a reported shooting on Thunderstick Road off of Highline Canal Road near Ballantine, on the south side of Interstate 94. Deputies, Montana Highway Patrol troopers and medical personnel “responded to the scene and located a subject with an apparent gunshot wound inside the residence,” Linder said. “Medical personnel tended to the victim, who died at the scene.”
Linder said detectives arrested Sindelar after questioning him following the incident.
The investigation is ongoing at this time, Linder said.
On Tuesday morning, Christopher Morris of the Yellowstone County attorney’s office said he was preparing an affidavit of probable cause to file in Yellowstone County Justice Court. He said Sindelar would likely appear in court on Thursday, or possibly Wednesday.
The sheriff said a judge would set bond at Sindelar’s initial Justice Court appearance.
Sheriff Linder also released the following information Tuesday afternoon. The suspect, James Sindelar is the father of Wesley Sindelar.
Full details and additional info will be in this week’s Yellowstone County News.
