Timothy Paul Whittles, 59, was sentenced in federal court on Aug. 24 to three years and six months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

Whittles pleaded guilty in March to a count of a prohibited person in possession of a firearm after he shot up his house near Lincoln Elementary School, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.

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Prosecutors alleged that Whittles, who had six prior felony convictions prohibiting him from owning a firearm, shot up his home with a handgun while high on meth in March 2025.

Whittles called 911 around 8 a.m. on March 22, 2025, saying he heard intruders and gunshots in his home.

During the call, the dispatcher heard Whittles load a gun and fire it, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

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Officers arriving at Whittles’s residence heard gunshots from inside. The front door was riddled with multiple bullet holes and its glass shattered, according to prosecutors.

Whittles’ home is near Lincoln Elementary and during the investigation, officers found that the bullets were shot from inside the house toward the school.

Whittles was instructed to come out of the house and officers detained him.

Surveillance footage from Lincoln Elementary showed Whittles getting home at 5 a.m., repeatedly entering and leaving his house and walking around his car.

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No other people were visible at the house in the footage and officers found no sign of intruders or a break-in during their search, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Officers found a .45 caliber handgun and an empty magazine on the basement staircase and dozens of spent shell casings throughout the house, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case.

The Great Falls Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation.