One man dead, three wounded in Sioux Falls park shooting

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — One man is dead, and three others are hospitalized after a shooting at Sioux Falls Park. It happened late Sunday afternoon.

Investigators were still at Dunham Park on the city’s west side today, collecting evidence and processing the scene. The person who was shot to death is identified as 29-year-old Josh Allen Jr. of Sioux Falls. Sioux Falls Police say the call came in around 4:30 p.m. Sunday after a bunch of people met up at the park.

“We had a large group of people that gathered there,” said police spokesman Sam Clemens. “We believe that everybody knew each other. We are not sure of the purpose of exactly why they gathered together, but we know that they all met there. Something happened, and then gunshots happened after that.”

Two of the three other men wounded in the shooting suffered life-threatening injuries. A 27-year-old man from Sioux Falls was shot several times in the legs and torso and a 40-year-old was hit in the face. A 26-year-old was hit in the shoulder but his injuries are not considered life-threatening. The victims were all taken to the hospital by friends.

Avera Hospital was locked down for a short time on Sunday.

Releasing a statement that said in part “Out of an abundance of caution, Avera McKennan Hospital and University Health Center put in place access restrictions around 5:10 Sunday evening following an incident in the community.”

Police Chief Jon Thum says some people know exactly what led up to the shooting.

“Three people in the hospital, one person deceased, it is important that that is accounted for and that people cooperate and use crime stoppers if they feel comfortable to provide us information,” said Thum.

Shell casings found at the scene indicate there were multiple handguns used in the shooting. Police won’t say if they have recovered any of the weapons.

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