In the predawn hours of Christmas morning 2024, a disturbance at a house party in Polson, Montana, ended in the death of Sheldon Fisher, a 31-year-old Native American man from the nearby town of Pablo. The incident unfolded around 3:30 a.m. when Lake County 911 received multiple calls reporting a shooting in the vicinity of 11th Avenue West and 4th Street West.
Officers from the Polson Police Department, Lake County Sheriff's Office, and Flathead Tribal Police responded to a housing
complex where they found Mr. Fisher with a single gunshot wound to his abdomen. Despite life-saving efforts, he was pronounced dead at 3:53 a.m. An investigation revealed that Mr. Fisher had gone to a house where a party was underway. He became involved in a verbal argument with a young man over a woman, and, while appearing unarmed, challenged him to a fight.
Security footage from a neighboring house captured what happened next. After the challenge, four other young men, including a 17-year-old named Elijah Cajune, came out of the house and began chasing Mr. Fisher. As they ran, Cajune was seen pulling an object consistent with a pistol from his person. The chase continued out of the camera’s view, and moments later, two gunshots were heard on the recording. Three of the males, including Cajune, were then seen running back toward the party house. On the audio, one person could be heard saying, "Elijah shot a fool," and "Elijah shot Sheldon."
Later that same day, law enforcement located and arrested Cajune. Several other individuals were also arrested in connection with the incident. The Polson Police Department led the investigation, with assistance from the Lake County Coroner, Sheriff’s Office, and Montana Highway Patrol. Investigators found a .45 caliber round in Mr. Fisher’s sweatshirt but were unable to locate the gun used in the shooting.
Elijah Cajune, who was 17 at the time of the shooting, was charged with deliberate homicide. He waived a hearing that would have transferred his case to youth court, and he was prosecuted as an adult. After initially pleading not guilty in May 2025, Cajune entered into a plea agreement. On May 20, 2026, he pleaded guilty in Polson District Court to an amended charge of mitigated deliberate homicide.
As part of the plea deal, prosecutors and the defense agreed to jointly recommend a sentence of 40 years in prison. As of May 2026, Cajune remained free on bond while awaiting his sentencing hearing, which was scheduled for July.
