BOZEMAN — BOZEMAN, Mont. — A long holiday weekend in downtown Bozeman turned deadly after an altercation outside a crowded bar led to one man opening fire, killing another.
“It feels kind of scary knowing that stuff does happen,” said Lexi, a Montana State University student.
Lexi and her friend Kimber, who also attends MSU, were walking downtown when they spoke about the incident. Both grew up in nearby Belgrade and are familiar with the area where the shooting occurred.
“I work downtown at Intrigue Ink. It’s kind of local, what happens,” Lexi said.
Although neither is old enough to frequent bars, they expressed concern about their siblings who are.
WATCH: Man charged with deliberate homicide after fatal shooting outside downtown Bozeman bar
“We both have siblings who are around the age of the people who were involved. Siblings who go to these bars. It’s scary to hear that this happens to people very similar to them. I can’t even imagine that. I couldn’t wish that upon anyone,” Kimber said.
I asked how often they hear about gun-related incidents in Bozeman, Kimber replied, “Maybe once every five years.”
Detective Captain Anthony Hutchings of the Bozeman Police Department confirmed gun-related calls are not uncommon, but rarely escalate to this level.
“Early Monday morning, officers were dispatched to a report of a shooting in front of R Bar,” Hutchings said.
Around 1 a.m., court documents state a fight broke out inside the Rocking R Bar between 22-year-old Jakob Lundberg and 29-year-old Sidney Callaghan. Both men were escorted outside. Shortly afterward, police say Lundberg retrieved a gun from his car and shot Callaghan multiple times in front of the crowded bar.
“We were dealing with a shooting scene, and we had an individual with what appeared to be several gunshot injuries,” Hutchings said.
Callaghan was taken to Bozeman Deaconess Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Lundberg fled the scene and later told authorities he threw the gun out of his car window near Rouse Avenue. He was arrested a short time later on North Seventh Avenue near Walmart. Police say K-9 units later located the weapon.
“It’s been a while since we’ve had a homicide — I think about a year,” Hutchings said. “There’s no rhyme or reason to the frequency. This one was more of a random act of violence, which we don’t typically see in Bozeman.”
On Tuesday morning, Lundberg appeared in court, where his bail was set at $1.5 million. He is charged with deliberate homicide, tampering with evidence, and criminal endangerment. Reportedly, no one else was injured in the shooting.
Hutchings reassured residents that downtown remains safe despite the incident.
“I will say this is abnormal for what we have in Bozeman, and I think downtown is a safe area that we focus on very highly. But people need to be aware that things can happen outside of their control,” Hutchings said.
I did reach out to R Bar, and staff declined to comment on the shooting as of now.
Lexi, who works just a block away, said she still feels mostly comfortable in the area.
“I think R Bar kind of has a lot of negative things that have happened, but I feel like I’d still be fine going there. A bit scary, though,” Lexi said.
Kimber agreed, adding, “Maybe give it some time, but that’s not the only thing that’s ever happened there or at any of these bars downtown.”
The investigation remains ongoing. Lundberg’s next court appearance is scheduled for June 12.
