Another Violent Casino Incident Shakes Montana’s Gallatin Valley

Two different but equally disturbing incidents involving casinos took place in Gallatin Valley in the past week. At the end of December, the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man who allegedly strangled and robbed a casino patron at the Magic Diamond in Belgrade, Montana. 

Some days later, last Saturday night, another violent incident was reported at Lucky Lil’s Casino. According to official documents from the police, the gambling venue was the scene of an incident that left one man injured and two facing attempted deliberate homicide charges.

On Monday morning, 24-year-old K.L., the man accused of the wrongdoings, showed up in Gallatin County Justice Court to answer for his alleged crimes inside the casino on Main Street. 

Alternation Caught on Camera

First responders who reached the casino discovered the wounded victim and transferred him to Bozeman Deaconess Hospital to receive treatment for a stab wound to the shoulder as well as a cut to his wrist.

According to investigators, surveillance camera footage inside the casino revealed that the victim and L. engaged in a heated verbal altercation. 

However, the actual stabbing was not captured by the video, which did, however, manage to record a speeding minivan driving toward the stabbed man, who was seen jumping out of the way. 

Down the Rabbit Hole 

The driver of the minivan was identified as L.’s acquaintance, S.O., a woman who, court documents claim, was the former partner of T.N., the victim of a homicide in Clyde Park in 2022. 

Apparently, N. had contacted the police to inform them of his suspicions that O. and S.G., the man who was later arrested and convicted for taking the life of N., were involved in drug activity. 

G., who received a “guilty” verdict for deliberate homicide last October, is currently waiting for his sentencing.

Saturday night’s investigation at the casino also revealed that L. was carrying 22 grams of meth on him. 

At the start of the week, the court set bail at $75,000 for L. and $50,000 for L., respectively. 

Despite the troubling casino-related incidents that recently unfolded in the valley, Captain Michael Van Meter of the Sheriff’s Office stated they did not notice any significant rise in the number of crimes involving gambling facilities.

Nonetheless, he advised gamblers to stay vigilant. “Anytime you’re handling significant quantities of cash in public, be very judicious about how you carry yourself, your belongings, and your valuables,” the captain said.