FBI, ATF Launch “Operation Ballistic Backlog” to Clear 500‑Gun Evidence Backlog on Pine Ridge Reservation

"FBI and ATF Initiate 'Operation Ballistic Backlog' to Address 500-Piece Gun Evidence Delay at Pine Ridge Reservation, with a Focus on Justice and Safety Led by U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons."

Northeast Radio SD News – Rapid City, SD - The FBI Minneapolis Field Office has launched a major new initiative—Operation Ballistic Backlog—to test and process more than 500 firearms currently held in evidence by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety (OST‑DPS). The effort is a joint partnership between the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Oglala Sioux Tribe, aimed at accelerating investigations into violent crime on the Pine Ridge Reservation.

The initiative is part of the FBI’s broader Operation Steadfast Promise, a surge of investigative resources dedicated to addressing unresolved violent crime on tribal lands. One component of that effort, Operation Not Forgotten, identified a backlog of roughly 500 serviceable firearms in OST‑DPS custody that had never been entered into the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN).

According to the release, “NIBIN is a crucial investigative tool… that compares spent ammunition casings with other evidence found at crime scenes,” allowing investigators to match microscopic tool marks on casings to specific firearms or other shootings. The ATF has deployed its mobile NIBIN testing lab to the FBI’s Rapid City Resident Agency to support the operation.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson said the initiative will directly strengthen public safety on tribal lands. “This year’s initiatives like Ballistic Backlog and Operation Not Forgotten enhance our ability to make meaningful improvements in public safety and violent crime reduction,” Dotson said.

ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Spence Burnett emphasized the importance of the partnership, noting that NIBIN is one of the most powerful crime‑gun intelligence tools available to law enforcement nationwide.

Oglala Sioux Tribe Attorney General Jessica Four Bear said the Tribe sees the impact of gun violence daily. “Many in our communities live in continued apprehension and fear from hearing gunshots throughout the night. This is not acceptable, and it is not the Lakota way of life,” she said, urging families to promote cultural values, secure firearms responsibly, and support youth.

OST‑DPS Chief of Police Jason Lone Hill added that working with federal partners strengthens the Tribe’s ability to protect the community despite limited resources.

U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons called the initiative “a promise kept… to clear the backlog of untested firearms evidence and help deliver timely justice,” noting that each unexamined casing could be the key to solving a violent crime.

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The FBI highlighted a recent example underscoring the importance of ballistic testing: NIBIN recently linked a firearm found elsewhere in South Dakota to the 2022 murder of six‑year‑old Logan Warrior Goings, who was killed when assailants fired 14 rounds into a home in Oglala. A $50,000 reward remains active for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

Anyone with information about Logan’s case or other major crimes on tribal lands is urged to call 800‑CALL‑FBI or submit a tip at tips.fbi.gov.