RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Elijah West, 26, of Pine Ridge, South Dakota, of three counts of First Degree Murder, three counts of Discharge of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, and one count of Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Prohibited Person following a five-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on September 22, 2023.
The convictions carry a mandatory sentence of life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine and a $700 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
West was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2022. That same month, West killed three people by shooting them at a residence near Wounded Knee, South Dakota.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State Court.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah B. Collins and Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date will be scheduled. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. ###