In the winter of 2020, on January 3rd, the life of 31-year-old Casey Lee Weston-Long, a Lakota man from Pine Ridge, South Dakota, was tragically cut short in his own home. He was a father to four children and was remembered by his family for his dedication to Lakota spiritual traditions. His sudden death left a void in the lives of his loved ones, who mourned the loss of a man deeply connected to his cultural heritage.
The circumstances surrounding Weston-Long's death stemmed from a
dispute that, by all accounts, he had no part in. The incident unfolded when a man named Ricky Bagola went to the Pine Ridge house where Weston-Long and six other people were present. Bagola was there because his girlfriend had accused someone in the residence of a disagreement involving methamphetamine. After knocking on the doors and windows, Bagola indiscriminately fired seven rounds into the house. Two of those bullets struck and killed Casey Lee Weston-Long.
In the aftermath of the shooting, an investigation was launched to bring the person responsible to justice. The search for a suspect led to the arrest of Ricky Bagola. He eventually pleaded guilty to a charge of second-degree murder for his role in the fatal shooting. In April 2021, a judge sentenced Bagola to 35 years in federal prison. During the sentencing, the court heard from Weston-Long's grieving relatives, who spoke of their profound loss and the sadness of his four children now having to grow up without their father. While the legal proceedings brought a measure of closure, they could not fill the emptiness left by the senseless act of violence that ended a man's life.
