Amelia Schafer
ICT + Rapid City Journal
The Spirit Lake Nation of North Dakota has begun to lift lockdown measures following the apprehension of Kolby McKay.
On April 9, the tribe took to Facebook to notify community members that the lockdown initiated on April 4 was called off. On April 8, McKay turned himself in to authorities following a weekend-long manhunt to locate him.
During the lockdown, tribal schools, businesses and administrative offices were closed.
It’s unclear why McKay was wanted, but the tribe identified him as “potentially armed and dangerous” in an April 4 press release.
The Great Plains Region Bureau of Indian Affairs, Spirit Lake Nation Chairwoman Lonna Street, Secretary Charmayne Bohanon and Vice-Chairwoman ReNa Lohnes did not respond to requests for comment on the cause of the lockdown.
The April 4 State of Emergency Declaration regarding the disappearances of Jemini Posey and Issac Hunt is still ongoing. Representatives did not clarify if the disappearances are related to the April 4 manhunt.
“As a tribal nation we offer our deepest sympathies to those affected by recent events, especially the families who are experiencing loss and trauma,” Chairwoman Street said in an April 9 press release.
Anyone with information about the two missing individuals is encouraged to call the Fort Totten Police Department at (701) 766-4231, the Devils Lake Police Department at (701) 662-0700, or the FBI tip line at (800) 225-5324.
This story is co-published by the Rapid City Journal and ICT, a news partnership that covers Indigenous communities in the South Dakota area.
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