Croix José Clooten was 22 when he was shot and killed in Bismarck, North Dakota, on July 27, 2026. Police responded just after 11:10 p.m. to the area of North 35th Street and East Rosser Avenue and found Clooten inside a vehicle with a gunshot wound. First responders gave aid and he was transported to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Investigators treated the shooting as a targeted incident. Police say Clooten was a passenger in a three-wheeled Slingshot when another vehicle approached and shots were fired. A nearby witness was awakened by Clooten’s friend, who said Clooten had been shot in the head; surveillance footage reportedly supports the friend’s account. Authorities arrested 20-year-old Loton Turner of Mandan the next day and charged him with murder and illegal possession of a firearm. Turner allegedly told investigators he was in the other vehicle and fired what he believed to be a BB gun and did not intend to hit Clooten. Bond was set at $1 million and the case is moving through the court system.

Croix’s family described him as having a kind heart and generous spirit. Does anyone have information about that night or the events leading up to it?