Kalispell Man Charged with Deliberate Homicide in Apartment Complex Shooting
Kaleb Anthony Hilliard, 21, faces four felony counts after a shooting outside PJ Rentals in Kalispell that left one dead and two wounded, charging documents say
By Maggie Dresser
A 21-year-old Kalispell man has been charged with deliberate homicide, two counts of attempted deliberate homicide and one count of criminal endangerment, all felonies, after an early morning shooting Oct. 13 at a Kalispell apartment complex that left one person dead and two wounded.
Kaleb Anthony Hilliard was booked in the Flathead County Detention Center, with bond set at $1 million bond. His arraignment hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Oct. 22 before Flathead County District Court Judge Heidi Ulbricht.
According to charging documents filed Oct. 15 by Deputy Flathead County Attorney Lenore Bushey, Kalispell police responded at about 1:15 a.m. to the PJ Rentals apartment complex on Seventh Avenue West North for a report of a disturbance with a weapon. They found multiple people had been shot outside of a party. Charging papers do not identify the victims by name
Witnesses interviewed at the scene identified Hilliard as the suspect. They described escalating tensions between him and his girlfriend over the evening of Oct. 12 and into Oct. 13, including alleged abusive behavior, suspicions of infidelity and a possible breakup.
According to reports and surveillance video, Hilliard returned in his vehicle to the complex, where his girlfriend was spending the evening with friends. Two men approached the driver’s side window, and Hilliard produced a firearm and shot them, along with another resident. Three other people, including his girlfriend, were standing near the rear end of the vehicle when the shots were fired.
Hilliard then accelerated and drove away, dragging his girlfriend along the pavement. Surveillance video shows one of the shooting victims returned fire as Hilliard sped off.
A 19-year-old victim with an apparent gunshot wound to the chest died at the scene despite life-saving efforts by officers. The second victim had apparent gunshot wounds to the abdomen and elbow, and the third had an apparent gunshot wound to her right shoulder. Hilliard’s girlfriend suffered road rash across her body and head injuries.
Officers found Hilliard in bed at his Kalispell home. His mother, who was there, told police her son said the shooting was related to his girlfriend’s infidelity. In an interview, Hilliard told officers he went to the party to retrieve his girlfriend. He admitted pointing and firing his weapon at people standing by his window, saying they were threatening him and he feared for his life.