Hunting culture, school safety collide in Dell Rapids student's arrest

Incident sparks 'Justice for Reece' campaign; superintendent says no decision on year-long expulsion made after shotgun discovered in school parking lot

The arrest of a Dell Rapids High School student following the discovery of a shotgun on school property has spotlighted the intersection of South Dakota's hunting culture and modern-day public safety protocols.

During what Dell Rapids School District officials describe as a “standard drug dog sniff in the parking lot” of the northern Minnehaha County high school Thursday, a shotgun and ammunition were found in a student's vehicle, resulting in the arrest of a juvenile student and a misdemeanor charge, according to the district.

While the identity of the student — who faces a year of expulsion and is a known outdoors enthusiast in the community — was not made public, the arrest and subsequent media attention it received sparked a demonstration outside the school Friday when students began parking their vehicles off campus. Some also wore T-shirts that read “#JusticeForReece.”

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