A Gillette man accused of shooting someone and eluding law enforcement for four days before Campbell County Sheriff’s deputies caught him appeared in court Monday and is being held in jail on a $1 million cash-only bond.
Kamren Crousore, 18, is facing three felonies and two misdemeanors, including attempted second-degree murder, attempted manslaughter and felony aggravated assault, as well as reckless endangering and unlawful contact for slapping and striking another person in the face.
If found guilty, in total Crousore faces up to life in prison plus an additional 72 years, more than $30,000 in fines, or both.
He’s accused of shooting a 19-year-old man last Tuesday after an argument on Echeta Road. He fled the scene and was caught Saturday when Campbell County Sheriff’s deputies converged on a local address.
Crousore tried to explain at his court hearing Monday why he ran from law enforcement.
“I ran because I was scared,” Crousore told Gillette Circuit Court Judge Paul Phillips. “What I did I feel was awful, and that’s all I have to say.”
The 18-year-old appeared on video from the Campbell County Detention Center. Wearing a short-sleeved orange jumpsuit with his dark hair slicked back, Crousore intermittently bowed his head while Phillips read off the five charges.
He looked up at Judge Phillips to say he understood the charges.
Additionally, he told the judge that he was unmarried with no children and planned to apply for a public defender.
Crousore admitted to having various prior felony convictions, including aggravated burglary charges in March 2024 and drug convictions when he was 16.
It was Crousore’s prior record that Campbell County Attorney Deputy Donald Bellamy cited as a concern, given Crousore’s criminal history “reflects quite a substantial amount of law violations within a very short amount of time.”
Bellamy noted that Crousore had been on the run for days and said that shows he’s a flight risk. The prosecutor asked the judge to hold Crousore on a $1 million cash-only bond.
Judge Phillips agreed.
“Your honor, the facts of this case are quite egregious, as the court has seen already in the affidavit,” Bellamy said.
The judge also pointed to the strength of the case against Crousore.
“The weight of the evidence here would appear to be substantial, probably all but conclusive,” Phillips said. “The history and characteristics of you the last couple of years with me are not in your favor.”
Wiggling His Fingers
A GoFundMe page by Gillette woman Tammy Van Horn identifies the shooting victim as her son, Preston Hedlund.
He was shot in the abdomen and had to be flown to a trauma center for life-saving interventions due to bowel trauma, says the GoFundMe page.
He underwent two intensive surgeries to repair his digestive system, after which he’s shown “incredible resilience,” the narrative adds. On Wednesday – one day after the shooting – he started responding to the touch of his loved ones and wiggling his fingers and toes, wrote Van Horn. He even tried to write while intubated. By Thursday, she wrote, medical personnel removed a breathing tube from Hedlund and he took a few steps.
“Though his progress has been encouraging, Preston still has a long and uncertain road to recovery,” Van Horn wrote. “His medical team is closely monitoring him, and additional surgeries may be needed. We do not yet know the full extent of his physical and emotional healing or the lasting effects this traumatic event will have on his body and mind.”
Van Horn wrote that she’s taken a leave of absence from work to be with her son at the hospital and is dealing with unexpected financial strain.
The page had raised $2,640 as of Monday afternoon.
Van Horn did not immediately respond to an email request for additional comment.
Jen Kocher can be reached at jen@cowboystatedaily.com and Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
