Man guilty of fatally shooting friend during pistol whipping

HELENA, Mont. (AP) - A Montana man who shot his friend to death while pistol-whipping someone else has pleaded guilty to deliberate homicide.

The Helena Independent Record reports https://goo.gl/jNltk9 Austin Kroll-McLaughlin entered his plea Friday in the July 7 death of 20-year-old Ryan Eakin. Kroll-McLaughlin, who was 18 at the time of the shooting, is scheduled to be sentenced June 20.

The man who was pistol-whipped told investigators he heard a gunshot as he was struck in the left cheek, and then he saw Eakin make a move like he was ducking. At the time, Kroll-McLaughlin was out on bond for a pending burglary charge.

After the shooting, he was accused of starting a fire at the jail and fighting with another inmate.

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Information from: Independent Record, https://www.helenair.com