SIOUX FALLS, SD – Last night (Dec. 30) officers responded to the 6500 block of W. Pine Medows Place for reports of a person lying in the street.
Officers located Mitchell James Houchins near the intersection of Meadows and Sandalwood Place. Medical personal transported him to the hospital where he was pronounced deceased. He was 27 years old.
Initial autopsy shows that he died from a gunshot wound to the chest. The caliber is unknown. The crime scene is still under investigation.
The shooting occurred around 11:20pm and the first call was received at 11:45. Matia says that certain images are on video but they will not allude to everything that is on video so as not to interfere with the investigation.
The victim was in the street for 25 minutes before officers were called. People had driven by him and one man had even walked past him. He went up and asked another person if they wanted to see a dead body. That person called the police.
Matia says the public is not in danger and they believe that the suspect knew the victim. No weapons have been recovered. Matia calls for the community’s help with all investigations.
Meanwhile, a Rapid City man killed in a shooting on Christmas Eve has been identified. Police identified the victim as 21-year-old Vernall Marshall.
Rapid City Police spokesman Brendyn Medina says no arrests have been made.
Police responded to the shooting at about 11 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 24 and found Marshall lying in the street with multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body.
Marshall was taken to a hospital where he died.
Marshall is the 12th victim of a homicide in Rapid City this year, with nine of the victims being killed since August. At least one other death is being investigated as a possible homicide.
