HELENA — On Tuesday afternoon 27-year-old Gabriel Garcia of Helena made his initial appearance in Justice Court on two felony charges of assault with a weapon.
The Helena Police Department and US Marshal Service arrested Garcia in connection with a shooting and stabbing that injured several people in downtown Helena late last month.
According to court documents, officers were dispatched to the 400 block of North Last Chance Gulch on December 29, 2023, in regard to a stabbing.
After arriving, officers determined gunshots were also fired. Documents say officers located involved parties, including Garcia and an unnamed victim.
The incident allegedly began as a fight inside the Gold Bar between several people, including Garcia.
The unnamed victim intervened and was allegedly stabbed by Garcia in the lower right abdomen and sustained “extensive injuries.”
Court documents say the knife penetrated the victim’s abdomen and struck his liver. Investigators say the fight was broken up and Garcia allegedly exited the Gold Bar and chased another one of the individuals he had been fighting with and stabbed them.
Court documents say one of the individuals involved in the fight “retrieved a gun from their vehicle,” and that gun was allegedly used to shoot Garcia.
Garcia’s bond was set at $100,000 by the judge.
