RAPID CITY, S.D. (KELO) — This past Friday, social media footage from a Rapid City business security camera showed gunshots being fired off of Jackson Boulevard.
This video started to spread and caught the attention of the Rapid City Police Department which is now investigating this case.
This footage from just outside of Kelly’s Sports Lounge shows bystanders rushing inside after gunshots were heard.
The investigation led the police to the 1300 Block of Skyline Drive where the gunshots are believed to have first started and were slightly seen on another security camera.
“And what we have is a red or maroon SUV that arrives at the Skyline overlook. Three occupants get out and they take turns shooting multiple rounds from a pistol and passing that gun back and forth, while they take turns shooting,” Assistant Chief Scott Sitts said.
“It’s serious enough to the level where we’re actually taking and adjusting our entire way of doing business. We’re taking people off of other areas and putting them focused into neighborhoods where we believe these calls are coming in,” Chief of Police Don Hedrick said.
The RCPD wants the public to call in to aid law enforcement whenever these situations occur.
“We will not normalize the sound of gunshots in Rapid City. It’s not ok, it will not be tolerated, and the senseless actions of thugs do not define our community. This is not Rapid City, a few knuckleheads do not define an entire community,” Rapid City Mayor Jason Salamun said.
The RCPD is hoping to get more public cameras up across town to help with investigations.
“Many other communities do have cameras in public spaces so it’s not a new thing, but that’s something that we’re working very hard on. We appreciate when the community takes a minute to say, hey look we have this on our video, because a lot of times it can lead to furthering our investigation,” Hedrick said.
The RCPD acknowledged their misstep in not putting out information to the public sooner and have already started to address this for the future.
Sunday night heard more gunshots, this time around 5th Street on the South side of town where the police responded to 13 calls of service, most of which ended up involving fireworks. Both incidents are still under investigation.
