Dooley could hear all the times Casey called his mother when he needed someone to watch his kids, or this or that. It never really mattered what it was, because Blanchard always come through, he said. Maybe it was helping out when needed, or maybe she took every opportunity to spend more time with her grandchildren.

“She doted on her grandkids,” Dooley said. “Those were probably her proudest things in life, her grandkids.”

Casey Blanchard had called on his mom the night of the shootings. On March 14, Julie Blanchard had picked up Casey and his friend Shelley Hays at Marvin’s Bar at the Wye just west of Missoula. While driving back on Expressway, a vehicle behind them flashed its headlights, prompting Julie, who was driving their vehicle, to stop, according to reports. Casey Blanchard left the vehicle and was shot eight times. Hays, 28, was dead when police arrived. Julie Blanchard, also wounded, called police at 10:53 p.m., according to charging documents.

A little over an hour later, as law enforcement spread out into the county in search of the suspect's vehicle, Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Wade Palmer located the white SUV on Highway 93 North near Evaro. As he arrived at the vehicle, he was shot three times, in the head, face and neck. The suspected gunman was apprehended nearly six hours later without further incident.