Francis Thomas Tom Thunder Hawk Jr., a 57-year-old singer and drum keeper, was shot during a dispute at the Oglala Lakota Nation Wacipi and Fair in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. The confrontation began on August 2, 2024, at about 10:20 PM when several males became involved in an altercation and Thunder Hawk intervened. He was struck by multiple gunshots and initially treated at the pow wow grounds before being taken to Pine Ridge Hospital and then airlifted to Monument Health Hospital in Rapid City.

Despite medical efforts, Thunder Hawk died of his injuries on August 4, 2024. The suspect fled on foot but was later detained as he tried to leave the area in a vehicle; tribal authorities say the incident appears to have been isolated and not a mass shooting. Some eyewitnesses have identified the person in custody as a teenager, though law enforcement has not released a name. The investigation remains ongoing.

Did anyone at the Wacipi or in the Pine Ridge community witness the confrontation or have information about what led to the shooting?