Brothers shot and killed in Three Forks, suspect charged

BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) — Gallatin County officials continue to investigate after two brothers were shot to death in the small town of Three Forks, northwest of Bozeman, over the weekend.

Sheriff Dan Springer identified the victims of the early Saturday shooting as Chase Estabrook, 32, of Butte and Brendan Estabrook, 31, of Three Forks. Their bodies were being taken to the state crime lab in Missoula for autopsy, he said Sunday.

A 24-year-old suspect is charged with two counts of deliberate homicide and the gun has been located, Springer said. Charging documents won't be available until Tuesday when the courts open after the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, officials said.

The shooting was reported at about 3:30 a.m. Saturday and officers arrived about 20 minutes later to find the two men deceased, Springer said.

The victims and the suspected shooter had been involved in an altercation at a residence that spilled out into the street, where the shooting happened, he said.