UPDATE: Murder suspect arrested following standoff in Billings

UPDATE 9 a.m. Monday

The Billings Police Department issued this press release Monday morning:

This release is regarding information for C&O 23-01645 a homicide investigation from January 8, 2023 in the 1200 block of Avenue F and an assault with a weapon and standoff in the 1200 block of Burlington.

At 6:09 PM hours, Officers responded to the 1200 block of Burlington for reports of a shooting. The male victim of the shooting was transported privately to the hospital. Officers arrived on scene and determined the suspect was still inside the residence and all of the residents had fled the scene. The suspect continued to fire shots from the residence. No one was struck by these shots.

Billings Police patrol was able to secure the area and the residence while BPD Swat, negotiators, bomb squad, and YSCO Swat were activated. In doing this a second crime scene was located at the business lot of 1307 12th Street West was located. Initial investigation of this scene determined the suspect had crashed a vehicle into several parked vehicles and then fled the area on foot, ending up at the residence on Burlington.

Officers then responded to a residence in the 1200 block of Avenue F due to information received from the suspect vehicle involved in the crash. Officers on this scene located a deceased male. The initial investigation on this scene appears the suspect shot the victim and then stole this victim’s vehicle, which was the same vehicle involved in the crash at 1307 12th Street West.

At this time there does not appear to be any connection between any of the victims and the suspect.

Throughout the entirety of the standoff Officers attempted contact with the suspect and received no cooperation.

At approximately 1:00 AM Officers were able to determine what part of the residence the suspect was barricaded in and focused their efforts causing the suspect to begin to cooperate. The suspect was located in the residence and taken into custody without any further injury or shots being fired.

The suspect was transported to the hospital due to injuries sustained in the vehicle crash and is currently being detained there on the suspicion of deliberate homicide, attempted deliberate homicide, and robbery. A suspect identity will be released once official charges have been filed.

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Update 1 a.m Monday

BILLINGS - A seven-hour standoff has ended as police officers took a man into custody, without injury to the officers or suspect, Billings police say.

BPD Lt. Matt Lennick says SWAT teams were able to get inside the house and reach the man in a basement room. Lennick says the man initially was accepting of officers being there, became resistant, and after a brief skirmish was arrested.

Lennick could not confirm if the man was armed or had a firearm nearby.

The man is being transported to the Yellowstone County Detention Facility and emergency personnel are leaving the area.

Meanwhile, investigators were still at the scene of a fatal shooting in an alleyway off of 12th Street between Avenue F and Avenue E, connected to the suspect and standoff.

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Update 11:15 p.m.

BILLINGS - A suspect remains barricaded in a house on 12th Street West in a police standoff, but new information links three crime scenes with one person dead.

Billings Police Lt. Matt Lennick confirms that one person is dead at a residence off 12th Street on the north side of Grand Avenue and that it appears the suspect in the shooting fled in the victim's car, crashed into parked vehicles outside Big B Bingo, ran into a house, and shot and wounded a person trying to flee the house in which the man is now barricaded. This man was transported to St. Vincent Healthcare.

Lt. Lennick says that law enforcement is still trying to communicate with the man inside the house and has shot gas inside the residence. The man has not made any verbal contact though police know he is still inside the house.

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Update 9:30 p.m.

BILLINGS - The standoff between a shooting suspect and law enforcement has now stretched to more than three hours near the intersection of 12th Street West and Burlington Avenue in Billings.

One man is barricaded inside a residence, and all other people have gotten out, according to police. Several flashbangs have been heard in the area, but law enforcement has not entered the residence.

The man had fired shots outside the window about 30 minutes after the standoff began, but no one was injured, according to Billings Police Lt. Matt Lennick.

Police say they believe the man shot another person, who was taken to a local hospital and whose condition is unknown. Early reports indicate the shooting happened at a birthday party.

It's unclear if the man is holed up in the same residence where the shooting took place.

In addition, the man had driven into parked cars and struck a power pole before he holed up, cutting power in the area. NorthWestern Energy personnel are on the scene restoring power.

Law enforcement is flying drones in the area to get an aerial view of the scene.

The 1100 block of 12th Street West and the 1200 blocks of Alderson and Burlington avenues have been closed, according to police.

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First report

BILLINGS - Multiple agencies are responding to a shooting near the intersection of 12th Street West and Burlington Avenue Sunday evening, and an active shooter is barricaded in the house, according to Billings police.

In addition, a vehicle has crashed into a power pole by the Big B Casino in the area, which police say is related to the shooting. Power lines are down and the power is off.

Billings firefighters say they were initially responding to a report of a shooting at a birthday party. The first call was made around 6:15 p.m.

One person was transported to a local hospital, according to firefighters.

The 1100 block of 12th Street West and the 1200 blocks of Alderson and Burlington avenues have been closed, according to police.

Billings Police Lt. Matt Lennick said the SWAT team has been deployed.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.