Helena Man on Trial for Shooting Death of Hunting Partner

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A trial is underway for a former Montana firearms safety instructor charged in the shooting death of his hunting partner in Helena last year.
Gregg Trude has pleaded not guilty to charges of negligent homicide and tampering with evidence in the October 2018 death of Dr. Eugene "Buzz" Walton.
Walton died from a gunshot wound to his leg caused by Trude's rifle discharging in a parking lot after the two men returned from a hunting trip.
Prosecutors say Trude left the rifle loaded and was responsible for it firing. Trude says Walton was removing the rifles from the backseat of a truck when one of them went off.
District Judge Michael McMahon is presiding over the bench trial that began on Tuesday.