A shooting at the Central States Fairgrounds in Rapid City on Sunday morning set off a multi-agency manhunt that ended with the suspect dead following an exchange of gunfire with tribal law enforcement officers on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
The Rapid City Police Department and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office were called to the fairgrounds at approximately 8:45 a.m. after reports of a shooting.
First responders arrived to find a male victim who had been shot and transported him to a local hospital. Authorities have not released the victim’s name or condition as the investigation continues.
Investigators quickly identified 58-year-old John Troy Lee of Rapid City as the suspect. Authorities released a photo of Lee and warned the public that he should be considered armed and dangerous.
Witnesses, however, told law enforcement that Lee had shaved his facial hair shortly after the shooting, making identification more difficult. Security camera footage from the area reportedly captured Lee leaving the fairgrounds in a white short-cab Chevrolet or GMC pickup truck.
As the search intensified throughout Sunday, law enforcement agencies received information suggesting that Lee may have traveled south toward the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety coordinated with multiple agencies and began working leads in the area.
Officer Injured Before Suspect Is Killed
Acting on tips from residents, Oglala Sioux tribal officers located Lee in the southwestern portion of the reservation. When officers approached, Lee opened fire on them. One officer was struck by gunfire and sustained injuries.
Acting Chief of Police Iver Crow Eagle III confirmed that the injured officer’s wounds were not life-threatening.
During the exchange of gunfire, Lee was killed. The South Dakota Highway Patrol later confirmed that the suspect was no longer a threat to the public, though full details were not immediately released at that time.
The investigation involves a large coalition of agencies, including the Rapid City Police Department, the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, the South Dakota Highway Patrol, the US National Park Service, Rapid City Fire, and the Oglala Sioux Tribal law enforcement. The case remains active, and authorities have indicated that additional information will be made available as the investigation progresses.
The fairgrounds shooting is one of several violent incidents that have drawn attention in the Rapid City area in recent days.
Police are also separately investigating a fatal shooting on Palm Drive, where 22-year-old Gavin Price was identified as the victim, and a downtown crash on Saint Joseph Street that left a pedestrian with life-threatening injuries.
The Central States Fairgrounds shooting and the subsequent events on the Pine Ridge Reservation highlight the coordination that can occur between city, county, state, and tribal law enforcement agencies when a suspect flees across jurisdictional lines.
Tribal authorities played a central role in tracking and locating Lee, and it was their officers who made direct contact with him before the fatal confrontation.
Anyone with additional information related to the original fairgrounds shooting is encouraged to contact the Rapid City Police Department at 605-394-4131.
