Witnesses Describe RC Shooting Scene

RAPID CITY, SD - It's been a tragic 24 hours in Rapid City.

One police officer, 28-year-old James Ryan McCandless is dead. One officer, 27-year-old Nick Armstrong, is in critical condition. A third officer, 39-year-old Tim Doyle, took a bullet to the face.

The gunman, 22 year old Daniel Tiger, also died Wednesday from a wound sustained during Tuesday's shootout.

A few people heard the shoot-out and saw the aftermath that unfolded at the corner of Anamosa and Greenbriar Streets in Rapid City which is just outside the New Beginnings Baptist Church. A make-shift memorial for the officers has been set up there.

Jordan Mandan was inside when the guns started going off.

"I was like downstairs, bottom of the church, playing games and I can just here like pop, pop, pop. It was pretty loud," Mandan said.

Mandan didn't know exactly what was going on at first until someone came in and described the what was unfolding outside.

"I didn't make nothing of it and my little cousin came downstairs and said there was like gunfire and stuff like that," Mandan said.

Memorials now sit where Mandan said several people were standing shortly after the gun fire stopped.

"There were a bunch of people around him like that, and he wasn't even moving," Mandan said.

Now members of the church are turning their attention to remembering the lives that were lost right outside their door.

"I would like to offer my most deepest condolences to the families that have lost a loved one as well as the other officers that were wounded," New Beginnings Pastor Glenn Renville said.

Because they say no one may ever be able to explain why this happened but they will always remember the officers who put their lives on the line to protect others.