A 55-year-old woman has been arrested on a preliminary charge of deliberate homicide after she allegedly shot and killed her boyfriend on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14.

Pamela Ruth Haines called 911 shortly before 8 p.m. to report the shooting. Three Rivers EMS was dispatched to the First Avenue North West home in Hungry Horse, where emergency workers found Haines’ 71-year-old boyfriend with a small-caliber gunshot wound to his chest, Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry said.

Attempts to revive Thomas Eugene Edwards failed, and he was declared dead at the scene. Haines, who was living with her boyfriend, was arrested and transported to the Flathead County Detention Center.

Curry said the shooting followed an argument, and Haines had no injuries. Curry said he didn’t know whether alcohol was a factor. Deputies searched the property Saturday morning as part of the investigation.

The couple had moved to Hungry Horse from California “fairly recently,” Curry said, and he didn’t believe his office had any previous contact with them.

The victim’s name is being withheld pending notification of family members. His body will be taken to the Montana State Crime Lab in Missoula for an autopsy.

The death marks the third violent death in Flathead County in the past three months. AnnMari Newton stabbed her husband, Chad Newton, on Nov. 25 in Whitefish. He later died after being taken off life support. Mark Ames allegedly shot and killed Harold Gordon at his home in Marion on Jan. 12.

A fourth violent attack occurred on Feb. 7 in Evergreen when Kyle Puckett stabbed and critically injured Carl Scott “Scotty” Lamar in what is claimed to be an act of self-defense. Lamar survived but is on life support.

Curry pointed out that the four incidents involved people who knew each other.

“This is still a safe community to live in,” he said. “Even though we’ve had several violent deaths in the last few months, they haven’t been random acts of violence. They have all been situations involving suspects and victims who either knew or were related to one another.”