WAGNER, S.D. – The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the July shooting death of a 61-year-old man near his apartment in Wagner.
Charles “Chuck” World Turner was shot and killed by a Yankton Sioux Tribal (YST) police officer on July 9. Though the circumstances that surround the shooting are still unclear — local and national law enforcement entities declined to release details related to what happened — sources familiar with the incident who spoke with The Dakota Scout allege that World Turner was walking towards a YST lawman with at least one knife. The officer responded by shooting World Turner multiple times, killing him.
The confrontation happened near World Turner’s home, in south Wagner. Wagner, the largest city by population in Charles Mix County, is a part of the Yankton Sioux Reservation. The officer involved in the shooting has not been publicly identified by investigators.
“We are aware of the situation and investigating,” a spokeswoman for the FBI’s Minneapolis field office said in a statement to The Scout. “As the investigation is ongoing, I have no further information to share at this time.”
The FBI confirmed again on Aug. 30 that the investigation had not come to a conclusion. The Yankton Sioux Tribal Police Department declined to comment on the incident.
The Yankton Press & Dakotan first reported on social media posts by the Wagner Police Department the morning of World Turner’s death, warning residents of a multi-agency response.
An obituary posted online described World Turner as “an animal enthusiast, particularly with a fondness for horses.” He partook in the Dakota 38+2 rides four separate times, an event where horseback riders travel from the Lower Brule Indian reservation to Mankato, Minnesota to promote reconciliation between Native Americans and non-Natives. He left behind two daughters and a son.
