Montana – A Lame Deer man has been sentenced to a decade in federal prison for a shooting that occurred on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation.
Shooting Triggered by Past Family Incident
Jerray Eugene Rowland, 29, was sentenced to 10 years and 1 day in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. The sentencing was handed down by U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters after Rowland pleaded guilty in October 2025 to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
According to court documents, the shooting happened on July 15, 2023, when Rowland and others were drinking and driving around the reservation. At some point, the group stopped at a house to get more alcohol. Meanwhile, the victim—identified in records as John Doe—had also been drinking and was walking nearby when he crossed paths with Rowland and a woman.
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It was during this chance encounter that emotions flared. Either Rowland or the woman allegedly told Doe that he was the man who had “shot their father.” Rowland then declared he was “[father’s] oldest boy” and pulled out a pistol, shooting Doe.
Investigators noted that Doe had, in fact, shot Rowland’s father back in 2017, though that incident was ruled as self-defense by law enforcement at the time.
Evidence Recovered Confirms the Victim’s Statement
Doe, speaking to law enforcement, said Rowland shot him with a 9mm handgun. Officers confirmed the story by recovering a 9mm shell casing at the scene and a 9mm bullet from Doe’s hospital room. When shown a photo array of five individuals, Doe immediately identified Rowland as the shooter.
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The FBI, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Northern Cheyenne Law Enforcement Services carried out the investigation, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case.
