Monte Gakin, a 29-year-old Hispanic and Latino father of two, was killed in Rapid City on the evening of August 27, 2025. Loved ones remembered him for a selfless nature, honey-golden eyes, and a quick wit; his life was described as full of adventure and devotion to family.

Police were dispatched at about 7:15 p.m. to an apartment complex in the 200 block of E. Watertown Street after reports of gunshots. Officers found Monte inside an apartment with gunshot wounds; despite emergency first aid, he was pronounced dead at the scene. The Rapid City Police Department, assisted by the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, launched a homicide investigation, interviewed multiple people and collected physical evidence.

Investigators said the shooting did not appear random and identified several people believed to have been present. A week after the shooting, authorities named 23-year-old Max Martinez and 24-year-old Brittany Dillon of Rapid City as persons of interest being sought for questioning. No arrests have been announced.

Did anyone in the Rapid City area know Monte or see anything at the E. Watertown Street apartments that night?