Inset: Jakob Lundberg (Gallatin County Justice of the Peace/KPAX). Background: The bar where Lundberg allegedly got into a fight that led to a fatal shooting in Bozeman, Mont. (Google Maps).
A Montana man is behind bars after a barroom altercation led to a fatal shooting in a crowded downtown area late at night, according to law enforcement in Big Sky Country.
Jakob Steven Lundberg, 22, stands accused of one count each of deliberate homicide, criminal endangerment, and tampering with evidence, according to the Bozeman Police Department. The violence took the life of 29-year-old Sidney Callaghan, authorities said.
The underlying incident occurred during the early morning hours on May 25, at and then outside the Rocking R Bar in downtown Bozeman.
First, the two men got into a fight inside the bar, according to an affidavit obtained by the Fairfield Sun Times. Staff intervened and escorted the men outside; however, the fight continued, police said.
Eventually, Lundberg walked over to his red Subaru WRX and returned to the fight with a firearm, according to law enforcement.
“(Lundberg) pushes out his hands in an “isosceles’ shooting stance and aims a handgun at Callaghan,” Bozeman Police Detective Kyle Hodges wrote in the affidavit. “Lundberg lowers his weapon, walks closer to Callaghan and raises the firearm again. He shoots Callaghan and Callaghan falls to the ground.”
After shooting the other man several times, Lundberg got into his Subaru and left the scene of the crime just before 1 a.m., police said.
“Our officers arrived on scene, began life-saving measures on the individual,” a police department spokesperson told NBC Montana. “Tragically, they were transported to local hospital and…determined to be deceased.”
The defendant later contacted his father and expressed contrition for the night’s events, saying: “I shot somebody,” according to charging documents obtained by Missoula-based CBS affiliate KPAX.
Witnesses would eventually provide a description of the defendant’s vehicle, police said. Lundberg was arrested near a local Walmart.
The defendant allegedly told law enforcement he disposed of the weapon near a white van – after being convinced a firearm out in the open during the Memorial Day parade would be a public safety risk. The gun was found the next day.
“We have a canine, Copper is her name, she’s trained to detect like firearms and explosives and anything that falls kind of under that purview,” the police department spokesperson continued. “And, so utilizing her, we were able to locate what we suspect to believe the weapon that was used in the incident.”
The defendant, for his part, allegedly kept mum when questioned about the incident aside from making “spontaneous statements about regretting what he had done,” according to the affidavit.
First responder rushed Callaghan to Bozeman Deaconess Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
In a review of surveillance footage, authorities say the shooting occurred in a crowded area with numerous bystanders nearby – including pedestrians and patrons at adjacent businesses.
Lundberg appeared in court for an initial appearance earlier this week where his bond was set at $1.5 million.
Prosecutors clarified that the investigation is in its early stages and that they will likely file formal charges in the weeks to come.
“Violence of this magnitude in the heart of our community is devastating,” Gallatin County Attorney Audrey Cromwell said. “Our office will continue working closely with law enforcement to ensure a thorough review of the evidence and to seek justice for Sidney.”
Lundberg remains detained at the Gallatin County Detention Facility as of this writing.
