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Suspect in Montana trooper shooting pleads not guilty

One person died and two were injured in the first shooting. Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Wade Palmer was shot three times in his patrol car while investigating the first shooting.

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — A 28-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to fatally shooting one person and injuring three others, including a Montana Highway Patrol trooper.

KECI-TV reports that Johnathan Bertsch entered not guilty pleas on Thursday in Missoula to one count of deliberate homicide and three counts of attempted deliberate homicide.

Bertsch remains in the Missoula County Detention Center on a $2 million bail.

His next court appearance is scheduled for the end of May.

Bertsch is accused of two separate shootings that occurred two weeks ago in the Missoula area. One person died and two were injured in the first shooting. In the second shooting, Trooper Wade Palmer was shot three times in his patrol car while investigating the first shooting.

RELATED: Montana trooper was shot 3 times in face, head and neck, wife says

Palmer is in critical condition at a Salt Lake City hospital.

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