In the quiet city of Washington, Utah, a dispute between neighbors escalated into a fatal encounter on the evening of May 7, 2020, ending the life of 38-year-old Christopher Montgomery, a Caucasian male. The events of that Thursday unfolded on East Huntington Hill Drive, where both Montgomery and his eventual assailant resided.
Earlier in the day, tensions had flared between Montgomery and his neighbor, Bradly Scott Hunt, leading to a physical altercation. Police were called to the scene in the hours preceding the deadly incident, but at that time, neither man wished to press charges, and the officers departed. However, the conflict was far from resolved.
Later that night, at approximately 10:30 p.m., police were dispatched to the same area for a report of a shooting. Upon arrival, they discovered Montgomery in the front driveway of Hunt's home with a gunshot wound to his chest. He was rushed to Dixie Regional Medical Center, but his injuries proved to be fatal.
Bradly Scott Hunt, 32 at the time, was identified as the shooter and was taken into custody at the scene. He was subsequently arrested and charged with the murder of Christopher Montgomery. In his account to investigators, Hunt claimed that after the earlier fight, he was informed that Montgomery had gone to retrieve a firearm. Hunt stated that he later saw Montgomery attempting to get into his house through a window and, fearing for his safety, he grabbed a shotgun that was near the front door. Without any words being exchanged, Hunt opened the door and fired the weapon, striking Montgomery. However, police found no evidence to support the claim of a break-in attempt, nor was a second firearm located at the scene. Based on the evidence and witness statements, investigators concluded that the shooting did not meet the criteria for self-defense. Hunt was also charged with possession of a firearm by a restricted person, drug possession, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
