BILLINGS — A possible homicide that began on Cook Avenue late Wednesday night has left one person dead and a neighborhood shaken.
In a Facebook post, Billings police stated that the incident originated on the 700 block of Cook Avenue. The victim was driven in a private vehicle to Billings Clinic, where they were pronounced dead upon arrival. Police were on scene at 9:17 p.m.
Listen to a neighbor's reaction to the homicide and how Billings Clinic responded to the victim's arrival:
A person of interest has been identified and located, but the victim's name has not been released. An investigation is ongoing, and there is no threat to the public, police said.
Related: Police investigate 'possible homicide', person of interest identified
Residents of Cook Avenue told MTN they are disturbed by the incident but not surprised.
“As for this block, it's becoming a common occurrence," said resident Lisa Van Fredenberg. "Every single day we're having it seems like payday Friday. We have a lot of traffic on the street, and this was bound to happen. I'm not saying that it was drug-related, but I think it's unfortunate that it happened.”
Van Fredenberg said she returned home around 9:30 p.m. and immediately noticed a heavy police presence down the street from her home. Multiple police officers searched the neighborhood and alleyways.
“Police were extremely busy last night,” said Van Fredenberg. "There were four police officers on the street in front of the house.”
The commotion spilled briefly outside of the Billings Clinic Emergency Department, where emergency personnel responded quickly to the victim's arrival. The incident prompted a quick and urgent police response. While the situation appeared chaotic, the clinic's director of emergency services, Brad Von Bergen, said it was one the hospital was prepared to handle.
“In emergency medicine, emergency nursing, every second counts," said Von Bergen. “We train to be ready for anything, any time. Expect the unexpected, so this is part of our training. It's part of what we do every day. We never know what's going to come through the door.”
Hospital staff undergo regular training for any situation, regardless of how patients arrive at the hospital. They also train on de-escalation procedures, have weapons detectors at entrances, and work closely with the Billings Police Department and their personal security force.
“There are occasions where people are already deceased when they arrive here. It doesn't have to be a traumatic event," said Von Bergen. “We have things happen every day, and we work so well together, and we train for things that help you to be able to monitor your staff, help out the ones that need help, and use it to learn for the next thing that comes through the door.”
Despite the heightened police presence, the hospital remained open as patients temporarily used the east portion of the parking lot to access the ER.
“We did what I would expect any emergency department to do, which is to remain open for the community, and we did that," said Von Bergen.
As the homicide investigation continues, many residents are voicing concerns about the safety of their neighborhood.
“We have elderly neighbors, and we're getting really sick of it,” said Van Fredenberg.
