Shawn Stevens, a White Caucasian male, was shot and killed on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota on the evening of November 30, 2016. His death was one of several fatal shootings in the latter half of 2016 that residents and leaders linked to a surge in methamphetamine activity, and it contributed to a climate of fear on the reservation.

Investigators identified a primary suspect, Thomas Joseph Brewer, age 26 of Pine Ridge. Brewer’s name and photograph were briefly added to the FBI’s Most Wanted list while authorities searched for him. He was located and taken into custody in Rapid City on December 16 and was charged with second-degree murder in connection with Stevens’ killing.

Many in the community described this case as part of a string of drug-related shootings that year, underscoring broader public-safety and substance-abuse challenges on the reservation. Anyone with information about Shawn Stevens or the events of November 30, 2016 is asked to come forward.