Charges Won’t Be Filed in Shooting Death of a Man in the Bighorn Mountains

Sheridan County Attorney Dianna Bennett will not pursue charges against the man who shot and killed 46-year-old Leonard Laszlo last August in the Bighorn Mountains. Law enforcement officials have determined that the shooting was in self-defense. Bennett said if she receives any new evidence or any of the witness statements change, she could reconsider the decision. She said that it has been a very frustrating case and an agonizing decision to not pursue charges. The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

According to the original news release issued by the Sheriff’s Office, at approximately 12:17 AM on Thursday August 5th, 2021, Sheridan dispatch received a report of a shooting in the Bighorn Mountains. Deputies and EMS responded to a residence behind Bear Lodge and located a deceased male subject in his mid-40’s, who appeared to have sustained a gunshot wound. Several witnesses on scene were interviewed and preliminary evidence was evaluated. The statements and evidence collected by law enforcement indicated that a male in his early 20’s shot the older male inside a private residence.