The Yellowstone County coroner has identified the victims of the recent shootings in Billings, Montana. Kenneth V. Morrison, 31, from Billings, was fatally shot in his home on the North Side of Billings. Holding a 1-year-old, Morrison fell on the infant, Tatee’ks Cole, causing his death by asphyxiation. Vydell Otto Yellowrobe, 17, of Hardin, was shot multiple times on the South Side and pronounced dead at the scene.
The shootings occurred during an unusually violent week in Billings. Chandler Stalcup, an 18-year-old Rocky Mountain College freshman and football player from Florida, was killed in his car after leaving a party where gunfire had erupted. Sidney Cruz Decrane Jr., 16, has been charged with deliberate homicide in relation to Stalcup’s shooting, while Garrett Door, 17, has been charged with felony deliberate homicide by accountability.
Following the shooting that claimed the lives of Morrison and Tatee’ks, a standoff ensued as law enforcement searched for the suspects. The suspects were eventually found in neighboring homes on the South Side, leading to a five-hour standoff. Several individuals, including two suspected of the homicides, were detained, but no charges have been filed yet.
Billings city leaders held a news conference addressing the recent shootings and the rise in violent crimes in the community. Police Chief Rich St. John stated that both crimes were committed by known gang members and involved stolen firearms. St. John and other officials urged the public to secure their weapons, as over 200 guns have been reported stolen this year in Billings.
The recent shooting that resulted in Yellowrobe’s death marked the fourth homicide in less than a week in Billings and the tenth this year. Law enforcement officials emphasized the need for community assistance in combating violence in the county.
