From Valley News Live March 4, 2025: St.Michael, ND (Valley News Live) – Three people have died after a shooting in St. Michael on Tuesday morning. The Spirit Lake Tribe says at 9:30 a.m. it was notified by the Bureau of Indian Affairs law enforcement of the deadly shooting.

All three people who died are members of the Spirit Lake Tribe. The Bureau of Indian Affairs says they identified the gunman and what vehicle they were in early on. The Bureau of Indian Affairs says around 1:20 p.m., a farmer spotted the vehicle near the Black Tiger Bay Campground and quickly called it in. The gunman was found inside of his vehicle, with self-inflicted injuries. The injuries were not caused by a gun.

“He sent us a pin and we all arrived at the same time. We ran up to the vehicle. We kind of circled it so there wasn’t any crossfire. We gave commands and we were able to see hands.” said Benson County Sheriff Ethan Rode.

In total, 25 law enforcement agencies aided in the search for the gunman. During the search, a shelter-in-place was issued for all residents within the Spirit Lake Reservation boundaries, including the districts of St. Michael, Fort Totten, Crow Hill, and Wood Lake. “It’s nerve wracking, but we try to make the best of it and work together with other agencies to come up with a plan to try and apprehend these people.” Sheriff Rode said.

Valley News Live