Investigators say the fatal shots were fired near patrons, pedestrians and nearby businesses.
BOZEMAN, Mont. — A fatal shooting outside a crowded Main Street bar has left a 29-year-old man dead and a 22-year-old suspect jailed as Bozeman police review video, witness accounts and a recovered gun.
The death of Sidney Callaghan has become both a homicide case and a public safety concern because police say the shooting happened in the middle of a busy downtown area. Jakob Steven Lundberg faces allegations of deliberate homicide, criminal endangerment and tampering with evidence after a late-night fight moved from inside the Rocking R Bar to the sidewalk.
Police were called at 12:44 a.m. May 25 to the 200 block of East Main Street after reports that someone had been shot outside a local bar. Officers arrived to find Callaghan wounded and began life-saving measures before he was taken to Bozeman Health Deaconess Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The shooter had already left in a vehicle, police said. The Memorial Day weekend timing added another concern for investigators because downtown Bozeman was preparing for holiday activity, including a parade. Police later said that concern became important when they learned a firearm may have been discarded in public.
The shooting followed a physical fight inside Rocking R Bar, according to court records described by investigators. Bar staff intervened and moved the two men outside, but the fight continued after they left the building. Police say Lundberg then went to his red Subaru WRX, got a handgun and returned. Bozeman Police Detective Kyle Hodges wrote in an affidavit that Lundberg extended his hands in an “isosceles” shooting stance and aimed at Callaghan. Hodges said Lundberg lowered the gun, walked closer, raised it again and shot Callaghan, who fell to the ground. Investigators say the account is based in part on surveillance footage.
The criminal endangerment allegation centers on where the shooting happened. Authorities say video showed numerous people nearby, including pedestrians on the sidewalk, patrons inside or near the bar and people connected to other downtown businesses. Police have not publicly said how many people were within range of the gunfire, but investigators described the area as crowded. No additional gunshot victims have been reported in public statements. The evidence released so far does not explain what started the fight, whether the men knew each other before that night or whether anyone tried to stop the fight after it moved outside.
Witnesses helped police track the suspect after the shooting, investigators said. Officers received a description of the vehicle and later found Lundberg near a Walmart on North Seventh Avenue. Charging documents say Lundberg contacted his father after the shooting and said, “I shot somebody.” Police say he did not give a detailed statement about the confrontation when questioned, though records describe spontaneous comments in which he expressed regret. The arrest happened soon after officers responded downtown, and police said there was no continuing threat to the public after Lundberg was taken into custody.
The search for the gun became a second phase of the investigation. Police say Lundberg told officers he discarded the firearm near a white van. Because the gun was believed to be in a public area as Memorial Day events approached, officers treated its recovery as urgent. A Bozeman police dog named Copper, trained to detect firearms and explosives, was used in the search. Police later said Copper helped locate what they believe was the gun used in the shooting. Investigators have not publicly released the weapon’s make or model, a full ballistic report or whether fingerprints or DNA were recovered from it.
Lundberg appeared in court the Tuesday after the shooting before Gallatin County Justice of the Peace Rick West. The court was advised that Lundberg had been arrested on allegations of deliberate homicide, criminal endangerment and tampering with evidence. His bond was set at $1.5 million. Prosecutors said the case remained in an early stage, meaning the evidence was still being reviewed and formal charging decisions were expected later. Gallatin County Attorney Audrey Cromwell said her office would work with police on a full review. “Violence of this magnitude in the heart of our community is devastating,” Cromwell said.
For downtown workers and bar patrons, the shooting placed a familiar late-night area under a different kind of attention. Local residents interviewed near the scene said the Rocking R Bar and surrounding blocks are known as a busy nightlife stretch. Some said the shooting made them uneasy, while others said they still considered the area generally safe. Anthony Hutchings, a detective captain with the Bozeman Police Department, said the shooting was not normal for the city. “I will say this is abnormal for what we have in Bozeman,” Hutchings said. He said police focus heavily on downtown but cannot prevent every sudden act of violence.
Police have released a clear outline of the broad sequence, but several facts remain unknown. Investigators have not publicly described the argument inside the bar, released the full surveillance video, named other witnesses or said whether alcohol played a role. They also have not said whether Callaghan and Lundberg had any prior connection. The case now depends on records from several points in time: the fight inside the bar, the movement outside, the trip to the Subaru, the shooting, the vehicle description, the arrest near Walmart and the recovery of the suspected gun.
Callaghan’s death also brings a legal focus to the meaning of each alleged step. Prosecutors will need to decide how the evidence supports the homicide allegation and whether the crowded sidewalk facts support the criminal endangerment count. The tampering allegation is tied to what investigators say happened after the shooting, when the weapon was discarded. Lundberg, who has not been convicted, remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty. His defense had not been fully detailed in the public records reviewed in the first days after his arrest.
The case remains active as police and prosecutors continue reviewing video, witness statements and firearm evidence. Lundberg remains in the Gallatin County Detention Facility, and his next listed court appearance was scheduled for June 12.
Author note: Last updated June 23, 2026.