Three killed, two injured, including a 5-year-old child, in South Dakota shooting

A man has been arrested after he allegedly shot and killed three people and seriously injured two others, including a 5-year-old, at his ex-girlfriend’s home in South Dakota this week.

Francis Lange, 42, faces three counts of first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated assault and one count of commission of a felony with a firearm, the Grand Forks Herald reported.

Authorities were called to the 700 block of Second Street in Scotland, South Dakota shortly before 6 p.m. on Nov. 9 after a woman called 911 to report that her mother-in-law had been shot, as well as a man, according to the Grand Forks Herald.

When first responders arrived at the scene, they found three unresponsive people. Two displayed no signs of life at the scene, and a third was taken to the hospital, the Grand Forks Herald reported.

Librado Monclova and Angela Monclova were pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Grand Forks Herald. Diane Akins was taken to a hospital, where she later died, the Grand Forks Herald reported.

A man told law enforcement he went into the house after getting a call that a shooting occurred involving his mother, according to the Grand Forks Herald.

The man went to the scene and found Librado on the couch and believed he was dead. He also found Akins on the floor of the living room and “thought she wasn’t doing good,” the Grand Forks Herald reported.

He told police he heard crying coming from another room in the house, where he found a 5-year-old child who had suffered a gunshot, according to the Grand Forks Herald.

The child was “wet” and allegedly made a comment about “Frankie” and being shot. The son of the living victim took the child and ran from the home safely, the Grand Forks Herald reported.

The child and the other living victim were airlifted to a Sioux Falls hospital for “serious, life-threatening injuries that require extensive medical treatment,” according to the Grand Forks Herald.

As the son of the living victim gave his account to police, a deputy recalled a domestic violence incident from months prior where he separated Lange and his then-girlfriend, Angela Monclova, the Grand Forks Herald reported.

The deputy remembered transporting Lange to his father’s house, though no charge was filed against either person, according to the Grand Forks Herald.

Authorities went to Lange’s father’s house where he told deputies that Lange was in the back bedroom of the house. After calling for Lange to surrender, he was taken into custody without further incident, less than an hour after the shooting was reported, according to the Grand Forks Herald.

Lange’s father told police Lange owned a Taurus handgun, something he considered to be his “pride and joy,” the Grand Forks Herald reported.

An arrest affidavit obtained by the Grand Forks Herald says police located 9mm pistol shell casings, cartridges and a handgun magazine at the scene, and outside, they located a handgun holster, according to the Grand Forks Herald.

Police believed Lange left the scene for his father’s house and Lange allegedly commented that he disposed of the firearm “not far” from the scene, the Grand Forks Herald reported.

The South Dakota Highway Patrol deployed a police service dog, which found a Taurus G3C 9-mm semi-automatic handgun approximately one-half block north of the scene, according to the Grand Forks Herald.

A search warrant executed on Lange’s father’s house found a box for a Taurus handgun under Lange’s bed, and the serial number on the box matched that of the handgun, the Grand Forks Herald reported.

Lange allegedly told police that he lived with his father, and confirmed that he used to be in a relationship with Monclova, according to the Grand Forks Herald.

Lange did not reveal any information that could suggest a possible motive for the shooting, the Grand Forks Herald reported.