Execution-Style Shooting Leaves One Deceased on Rapid City’s Northside, Suspect Not Identified
By Darren Thompson
Rapid City—Rapid City Police (RCP) are actively investigating a shooting that bystanders said was done “execution-style” and left one woman deceased on Rapid City’s Northside. At 8:30 p.m. Rapid City Police Lieutenant Christian Sigel announced in a video on social media that police responded to report of a shooting near Pine Street and East North Street at approximately 6:54 p.m. and found a woman laying on the ground with critical wounds. Police did not say they had a person in custody, or any leads, and are seeking the public's help in assisting with the investigation.
One witness, who spoke on conditions of anonymity, said when she drove into an Exxon gas station, on Pine and East North Street, she thought she saw a two car accident, but realized quickly that police vehicles kept pulling up. “When I got out of my vehicle, there were lots of people standing outside and I asked, ‘what happened, did someone get hit?’ They said, “No, someone got shot execution style.”
While RCP hasn’t released many details of the shooting, including the name of the deceased, others shared with LRI Media that the shooting was targeted. Another eye witness who wishes to remain anonymous shared with LRI Media that an argument between two people outside ended with a woman abruptly walking away, across Pine Street away from the Exxon gas station, and a Mexican man followed her and fired shots. Details to what happened after the shooting are sparse and inconclusive.
Rapid City Police Lieutenant Christian Sigel said in a video posted on social media late Wednesday evening: “While en route, our officers got information that they believed someone was shot and arrived and found a female with critical injuries. Medical arrived on scene and transported the female to the hospital, where she was later pronounced deceased.”
Witnesses shared with LRI Media that when the ambulance drove off, they drove with no sirens, suggesting to those at the scene that the woman found shot at the scene may already have been deceased.
The name of the deceased by is being withheld by public officials pending next-of-kind notification. Witnesses shared that the deceased has lived in Rapid City most of her life, and is Oglala Lakota from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
A candlelight vigil is scheduled to take place this evening for Esther Wolfe, Thursday, Feb. 22 at 6:30 p.m. on East North Street and Pine Street, in the parking lot of the old Imperial Garden Chinese Restaurant.
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Updated 7:55 p.m.
Rapid City Police announced on Thursday, Feb. 22 at 5:32 p.m. that they have arrested one individual in connection with Wednesday’s fatal shooting near Pine Street and E. North Street. 23-year-old Ezekiel Mayweather was located and questioned by Rapid City Police in connection to Wednesday’s fatal shooting and then taken into custody as an accomplish in the homicide and arrested for Conspiracy to Commit a Felony/First Degree Murder before being transported to the Pennington County Jail.
Police released the identity of the deceased as Esther Wolfe, a 25-year-old of Rapid City.
“This is a cowardly and senseless act of violence that has needlessly cost the life of a young member of our community,” said Rapid City Chief of Police Don Hedrick in a statment. “This investigation and resolution of this case remains the top priority of the RCPD’s Criminal Investigation Division, and we are allocating all available and appropriate resources to finding all parties who were involved in this shooting and bringing them to justice. We will not normalize acts of violence like this in our community.”
This is a developing story.
This story was updated to include that a suspect was apprehended in connection to Wednesday’s fatal shooting and that the identity of the deceased has been publicly released.
