Steve Mitchell Hale

Steve Mitchell Hale, a 61-year-old White male, was an employee at the Emerald City Casino in Great Falls, Montana. His life was tragically taken during a violent shooting spree in the early morning hours of December 17, 2019. The attack claimed two other lives and left a fourth person seriously injured.

Shortly before 2:00 a.m., a man entered the casino and began shooting. According to surveillance footage, the gunman shot and killed customer Cheryl Ann Larsen, 53, and employee Wendy Joanne Carlson, 60. Just seconds later, he fatally shot Steve Hale in a nearby kitchen area. The gunman also shot a fourth victim, Timothy Edwards, who survived by pretending to be dead until the assailant left the building. Edwards then sought help at a neighboring gas station and identified the shooter to police.

The suspect was identified as Ricky Lee Gardipee, a 41-year-old from Great Falls with a long criminal history. A manhunt involving local, state, and federal authorities began immediately. A few hours later, at approximately 5:40 a.m., Deputy U.S. Marshals located Gardipee near an elementary school about a mile from the casino. Officials reported that a confrontation occurred, and Gardipee was shot and killed by the marshals.

The wider investigation led to charges against two other individuals. Amanda Lynn Gilbreath was charged with felony obstruction of justice for allegedly harboring Gardipee and lying to police about his whereabouts before the shooting. Another man, Johnny Komeotis, was charged with evidence tampering and resisting arrest.

A coroner's inquest was later convened to review the law enforcement shooting of Gardipee. In August 2021, the jury determined that the U.S. Marshals were justified in their use of fatal force. With the primary suspect deceased, the homicide case is considered closed.