A man was hospitalized with a gunshot wound, while a SWAT search of a nearby home ended without an arrest.
BILLINGS, Mont. — Billings police were searching Monday for a suspect in a downtown shooting that sent one man to a hospital and prompted a large SWAT response Sunday near North 23rd Street and First Avenue North.
The investigation remained active after SWAT officers entered a home in the area around 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Police said the person they were seeking was not found inside. Officers later continued investigative work near the 100 block of Monroe Street. Authorities had not publicly identified the suspect as of the latest update.
Police said one man suffered a gunshot wound and was taken to a hospital. His condition had not been released. Authorities also had not released his name or provided details about what investigators believe led to the shooting.
The police response began Sunday afternoon. Shortly after 3:30 p.m., the Billings Police Department warned the public to avoid the area as officers and SWAT personnel worked near North 23rd Street and First Avenue North. Police initially believed a man may have been barricaded inside a nearby home.
Several surrounding homes were asked to shelter in place while officers secured the area. Police activity and road restrictions extended through several nearby streets as investigators and tactical officers worked at the scene.
Road closures and police activity stretched from First Street West to Third Street West, with areas near North 22nd and North 24th streets also taped off during the response. The restrictions reflected the uncertainty officers faced while trying to determine whether the person they were seeking remained inside the home.
By late Sunday, police said the area around the home at North 23rd Street and First Avenue North no longer posed a threat to the public. The residence remained taped off as a crime scene after the SWAT operation ended.
A nearby resident, Ethan Adams, said he heard gunfire and later heard sirens. Adams also said he had heard gunshots the previous night. Authorities have not said whether any gunfire reported Saturday was connected to Sunday’s shooting.
Police had not announced an arrest, released a suspect description or disclosed the wounded man’s condition by the latest update. The investigation continued as detectives worked to locate the person sought in connection with the shooting and determine what led to the violence.
Author note: Last updated Sept. 7, 2026.