FBI, ATF, and Oglala Sioux Tribe Launch Operation Ballistic Backlog to Advance Unsolved Violent Crime Investigations

RAPID CITY, S.D. — The FBI Minneapolis Field Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety have launched Operation Ballistic Backlog, a major initiative aimed at processing hundreds of previously untested firearms connected to investigations on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

The initiative is part of the FBI’s broader Operation Steadfast Promise, an ongoing effort to surge investigative resources into tribal communities and address unresolved violent crimes across Indian Country.

According to federal officials, approximately 500 serviceable firearms currently held as evidence by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety had not yet been entered into ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), a nationwide system used to connect firearms evidence across multiple crime scenes and investigations.

NIBIN is one of the most important ballistic intelligence tools available to law enforcement. The system analyzes microscopic markings left on spent cartridge casings when a firearm is discharged. Those unique markings can then be compared against evidence recovered from other crime scenes, helping investigators identify links between shootings, firearms, suspects, and unsolved violent crimes.

Since its creation, NIBIN has generated more than one million investigative leads nationwide and has been credited with assisting law enforcement agencies in solving murders, assaults, gang-related crimes, firearms trafficking cases, and narcotics investigations.

Under Operation Ballistic Backlog, firearms stored by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety are being test-fired at the OST Criminal Justice Center in Pine Ridge. The resulting cartridge casings are then analyzed using ATF’s Mobile NIBIN Testing Laboratory, which has been deployed to South Dakota to support the operation.

Federal officials say the effort could generate new investigative leads in unresolved shootings and violent crimes that occurred on the reservation over several years.

“The FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office serves all of Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota, including the tribal lands that share the same geography,” said FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “Our agents, analysts, and professional support employees work tenaciously to investigate major crimes on tribal lands, including many gun crimes such as major assaults and murder.”

Dotson said initiatives such as Operation Ballistic Backlog and Operation Not Forgotten strengthen the FBI’s ability to improve public safety and reduce violent crime while supporting tribal communities.

Operation Not Forgotten, another component of Operation Steadfast Promise, focuses on unresolved cases involving missing and murdered Indigenous persons. The initiative is now in its fourth year and has brought additional investigative resources to tribal communities across the United States.

ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Spence Burnett of the St. Paul Field Division emphasized the importance of NIBIN as a crime-fighting tool.

“NIBIN is one of the most powerful crime gun intelligence tools for law enforcement, and ATF is the agency that operates it nationwide in support of any law enforcement partner that needs it,” Burnett said.

When the FBI requested assistance with the firearms backlog, ATF deployed its mobile testing unit to South Dakota to help accelerate the analysis process.

Oglala Sioux Tribe Attorney General Jessica Four Bear said the initiative addresses ongoing concerns about gun violence within reservation communities.

“The Tribe sees firsthand the effects of gun violence on our people,” Four Bear said. “Many in our communities live in continued apprehension and fear from hearing gunshots throughout the night.”

She also stressed the importance of strengthening families, supporting youth, and promoting traditional Lakota values such as respect, generosity, courage, and wisdom as part of a long-term strategy to reduce violence and improve public safety.

Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety Chief of Police Jason Lone Hill noted that cooperation with federal agencies provides critical support for local law enforcement efforts.

“We hear our relatives’ concerns and we share them,” Lone Hill said. “Our officers are committed to a visible, consistent presence, and enforcement that keep our families safe.”

U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons described the initiative as an important step toward clearing a significant evidence backlog that could contain critical information about unresolved violent crimes.

“Every unexamined cartridge or casing could hold the key to solving a murder or violent crime,” Parsons said.

Federal officials highlighted the recent murder investigation involving six-year-old Logan Warrior Goings as an example of the value of ballistic evidence.

Logan was killed on May 5, 2022, when multiple rounds were fired into a family residence in Oglala near Pine Ridge. Investigators have stated that NIBIN analysis linked a firearm recovered elsewhere in South Dakota to evidence connected to the murder.

Earlier this month, the FBI announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individual or individuals responsible for Logan’s death.

Authorities continue to encourage anyone with information regarding the murder of Logan Warrior Goings to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit information through tips.fbi.gov.

Federal officials say Operation Ballistic Backlog demonstrates the growing use of forensic technology, interagency cooperation, and tribal partnerships to generate investigative leads, solve violent crimes, and improve public safety throughout Indian Country.

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