A shooting in Sioux Falls near Roosevelt High School leaves two dead and two injured.
According to a police description, a 23-year-old male was quote “jumped” in Sioux Falls sometime Thursday night.
The 23-year-old and his 44-year-old and 14-year-old relatives were told that the man who assaulted him was near Roosevelt High School. A 42-year-old female relative also followed. They headed to the Kum-n-Go near West 41st and South Sertoma Avenue to confront a group of motorcyclists they believed to be involved in the assault.
The three men were holding baseball bats. They began by speaking to the group of motorcyclists, but Sioux Falls Police Department spokesman Sam Clemens said things escalated quickly.
“At some point the 23-year-old man swung a baseball bat at the head of a 26-year-old motorcyclist. The 26-year-old motorcyclist had a handgun. He ended up shooting that gun and struck the 23-year-old man. Right after that happened the motorcyclist then noticed that the woman was pointing a gun at him. He fired at that woman. She was struck in the arm. And then almost immediately after that the 44-year-old man swung a bat at the head of the motorcyclist. He then pointed the gun, fired the gun at the 44-year-old and struck him several times,” Clemens said.
Documents say the motorcyclist then left his handgun on the sidewalk and waited for the police to arrive with his hands on his head. Clemens said he has been cooperating with authorities.
He said the states attorney’s office will investigate whether the motorcyclist acted in self-defense.
The 42-year-old woman who was shot in the arm was identified as Darinda Martinez. She was treated and released from the hospital and is now charged with three counts of aggravated assault.
Clemens said the motorcyclist was not involved with the prior assault that started it all. He said it was a case of mistaken identity. He also said both the 23-year-old and 44-year-old males died from gunshot wounds.
