On a Sunday afternoon, August 25, 2024, a large gathering at Dunham Park in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, turned tragic, ending the life of 29-year-old Joshau Antrell Allen Jr., a Black / African American male. The incident unfolded around 4:21 p.m. when multiple calls reported gunfire in the park located in the 1300 block of South Marion Road. When police arrived at the scene, they discovered Allen in a parking lot on the west end of the park, deceased from multiple gunshot wounds.
The
shooting also resulted in injuries to three other individuals from Sioux Falls, who were transported to a local hospital by personal acquaintances before emergency services arrived. Some of these individuals sustained life-threatening injuries, prompting the hospital to go into a temporary lockdown. Investigators found shell casings from different handguns at the scene, suggesting multiple shooters may have been involved in the altercation that broke out during the gathering.
In the aftermath of the shooting, which marked the sixth homicide in Sioux Falls for 2024, the park was temporarily closed to the public as the investigation commenced. While police have indicated that they believe the individuals involved in the incident were known to each other, a specific motive for the shooting has not been determined. As of late August 2024, no arrests had been made in connection with the death of Joshau Antrell Allen Jr. or the injuries to the other three victims. The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have encouraged anyone with information to come forward.
