On Thursday, March 12, 2026, staff at the Central Montana Medical Center in Lewistown alerted the Fergus County Sheriff’s Office and Lewistown Police Department that one of their nurses was on the phone with a suspicious caller with a blocked number.
The caller claimed to have assaulted a child and was reportedly holding his wife and other children hostage. During the call, he stated he was under the influence of methamphetamine and threatened to shoot his family, punctuating the conversation with numerous vulgar and disturbing remarks.
CMMC staff maintained the phone connection to gather intelligence, as the person refused to speak with anyone except the initial nurse. While the validity of the threat remained uncertain, the individual eventually disclosed a name and a Bozeman address.
Consequently, the Lewistown Police Department and Fergus County Sheriff’s Office coordinated with the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office to initiate an out-of-area welfare check.
While law enforcement officers mobilized to investigate the provided Bozeman-area address, CMMC personnel—in coordination with the Lewistown Police Department and Fergus County Sheriff’s Office—maintained contact with the caller for about one hour.
Operating under the assumption of an active threat to life, responders arrived at the scene only to find a vacant property listed for sale.
Subsequent reports from the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that several medical facilities throughout the region had been targeted by similar calls.
The incident has since been classified as a coordinated "swatting" event. There are no safety concerns to staff, patients or the facility at CMMC at this time.
Fergus County Sheriff Ryan Peterson said, "Unfortunately, there's people out there that like to do this type of thing, in hopes that they're going to pull a lot of law enforcement resources in, in a situation that's not necessary. I don't quite know what what they get from it, but it happens quite a bit.”
There is no word at this point on whether any suspects have been identified.
From the US Department of Homeland Security:
Swatting is a malicious act that can involve placing false emergency calls to emergency responders, often reporting a (false) severe, ongoing crisis at a specific location. The goal of swatting is to provoke a significant law enforcement response, creating chaos and potentially resulting in violence. Swatting:
• Typically involves claims of violent crimes such as active shooters, bomb threats, or hostage situations.
• Can target individuals, businesses, government officials, schools, faith-based institutions, and evenfederal facilities.
• Is illegal and carries serious legal consequences for perpetrators.
Swatting, like doxing and phishing, often relies on open-source information and social engineering techniques to gather details about an individual or location. Swatters use deception tactics and different types of technology to manipulate law enforcement into responding to a fabricated emergency.
• Techniques used by swatters: Usually use Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services or spoofed phone numbers to conceal their identity.
• Fake reports: Calls and sometimes emails may include highly specific details, such as the individual’s name and address, to make the threat seem credible.
• Signs of swatting calls: Requests for an extreme response, inconsistent details, or calls coming from suspicious or untraceable sources can indicate a potential swatting attempt.
• Multi-location attacks: Some swatters provide law enforcement with multiple names and addresses, spreading resources thin and increasing confusion.
Swatting incidents are more than just a nuisance—they create serious risks to law enforcement officers, federal employees, and the public.
• Techniques divert critical resources: Swatting pulls officers away from real emergencies, potentially delaying response times for actual threats.
• Endangers innocent people: The confusion caused by a swatting call can result in unnecessary law enforcement confrontations or use of force against unsuspecting individuals.
• Creates mistrust in emergency response: Repeated false alarms may desensitize responders, reducing their ability to assess true threats effectively.
• Financial and operational costs: Responding to hoax emergencies wastes taxpayer money and drains resources.
