Thaddeus Maurice Merritt, a 22-year-old Black / African American man from Illinois, was killed in a shooting near downtown Billings police headquarters on the night of June 24, 2021. Gunfire erupted just before midnight; officers who responded found two people with multiple gunshot wounds. Merritt was transported to a nearby hospital but died of his injuries. An 18-year-old man from Billings was also taken to a medical facility with wounds that required treatment.

The Billings Police Department opened an investigation and, in the immediate aftermath, said it was not actively seeking other individuals in connection with the shooting. No arrests have been reported and investigators were still working to establish what happened and who was responsible. If anyone saw activity near downtown Billings around midnight on June 24, 2021, or has information about this shooting, please come forward.