Authorities are continuing to investigate a shooting that occurred Sunday morning, June 7, 2026, on the Central States Fairgrounds property in Rapid City.
The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with the Rapid City Police Department, confirmed that the victim has been identified as 50-year-old Paul Nebel of Rapid City. Nebel served as the maintenance manager at the fairgrounds and suffered serious, life-threatening injuries after being shot during the incident.
Investigators identified the suspect as 58-year-old John Troy Lee, also of Rapid City, who was reportedly an employee and had been living in a camper located on the fairgrounds property. According to preliminary findings, the shooting occurred while Nebel was addressing a personnel-related issue involving Lee.
Following the shooting, law enforcement agencies launched an immediate search after Lee fled the scene. Authorities later located him on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, where he was encountered by Oglala Sioux Tribal Law Enforcement.
Officials said that during that encounter, an officer-involved shooting occurred and Lee was pronounced deceased. The Oglala Sioux Tribal government has stated that Interim Chief Iver Crow Eagle is overseeing information related to the officer-involved shooting.
Multiple agencies are assisting in the ongoing investigation, including the Rapid City Police Department, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the FBI, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Oglala Sioux Tribal law enforcement. Authorities say the investigation remains active as they continue to gather evidence and review the sequence of events leading up to both the shooting at the fairgrounds and the subsequent law enforcement encounter.
Officials have not released additional details regarding what specifically led to the confrontation or whether any prior incidents occurred between the individuals involved.
The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office expressed condolences to those affected, stating, “Our continued thoughts are with Nebel’s family, friends and our partners at the Central States Fair.”
Authorities are asking anyone with information related to the incident to contact Pennington County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Jorge Salas at 605-394-6115.
Further updates will be released as the investigation progresses.
