Bar Fight Leads to Shots Fired in Missoula
Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - At around 1:35 a.m. on August 21, 2023, a Missoula Police Department officer was dispatched to St. Patrick’s Hospital for a male who had just walked into the Emergency Room with a gunshot wound. The officer arrived and located the male victim who had been shot at least once, possibly twice, and had been hit in the right arm.
The victim said he was at a local bar in Missoula with his girlfriend. There were two males that the victim did not know at the bar as well. The victim said he had seen them before but was not familiar with them. A verbal argument began when one of the males showed the victim disrespect. The victim said he challenged one of the males to a physical fight in the alley near the bar. The parties left the bar and the victim said he hit the male after the argument escalated.
The victim said he then left the bar with his girlfriend in her vehicle. The victim said he was driving to take his girlfriend home and that the two males followed him. The victim said he turned his vehicle around and drove at the two males in the passenger car.
One of the Males Pulls Out a Gun
According to court documents, the passenger car stopped in the street. The victim saw the two males exit the vehicle and go to the trunk of the car. The trunk opened and one male pulled out what the victim described as an AR-15. The victim said he drove his car into the back end of the passenger car.
The victim said the vehicle he was driving was shot by the male with the gun. As he was driving away, the victim was shot as one round went through the back of the vehicle. His girlfriend was not hit. The victim continued immediately to St. Patrick’s Hospital for medical care.
An officer returned to where the alleged shooting occurred and located an expended shell casing. The officer said the casing appeared to be a 5.56mm/.223 caliber casing. The officer also located a piece of black plastic with a part number on it. He discovered that it was a “base plate” to an “AR-style” magazine. A sergeant arrived on the scene moments later. With his help, a broken “AR-style” magazine, unexpended rounds, and another expended round were located.
A Detective Takes Over the Investigation
On August 22, a detective observed the victim’s girlfriend’s vehicle and noted a bullet mark on the hood, and a second set of bullet holes indicated that a bullet had entered the vehicle above the driver’s side tail light and passed through the back of the driver’s seat. Blood was also observed consistent with the driver being hit on their right side.
On August 23, two suspects were arrested. Through their investigation, detectives learned that 30-year-old Eifree Arrieta was the one who fired the gun.
Arrieta is currently being charged with felony assault with a weapon. On August 25, 2023, Arrieta made his initial appearance in Missoula Justice Court and his bond was set at $25,000.
The information in this article was obtained from sources that are publicly viewable.