Sioux Falls police: Man fatally shot innocent homeowner while breaking into wrong house

Police say a man who shot four people in two separate locations in central Sioux Falls on Monday entered the wrong house looking for his intended target when he fatally shot a resident in the home.

Alton Ray Bear, 45, shot and killed Tracy Saboe, 40, at 800 N. Prairie Avenue thinking the home belonged to another man, police Capt. Michael Colwill said. Saboe and Bear had a short altercation after Bear broke into the home, and Bear shot Saboe once in the head, Colwill said. 

Bear then went to the correct address, 902 N. Prairie Avenue, at 2:30 p.m. and shot a 30-year-man in the face and right shoulder, an 18-year-old woman in the left arm and a 52-year-old woman in the head. All are expected to recover, Colwill said. 

The 30-year-old man at 902. N. Prairie was Bear's intended target, Colwill said. Bear believed the targeted man had assaulted someone in Bear's family, Colwill said. The two individuals are not related, but did know each other, police said.

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"Both shootings at both houses are a huge tragedy, and devastating for all of the families involved," Colwill said. 

Saboe was found by his wife with a fatal gunshot wound to the head at about 7:50 p.m. Monday, Colwill said. 

"For the individual, whose wife basically came home at 8 p.m. and found her loved one deceased on the floor, I'm sure  that's completely overwhelming for them and their family," Colwill said. "We feel for them and we feel for the individuals at 900 North Prairie that were also the victims of the shooting."

Police connected the two incidents after realizing the same 9mm handgun was used in all four shootings, Colwill said. 

Police spent about an hour searching for the suspect in the area on Monday, closing down the intersection of First Street and north Prairie Avenue and part of the neighborhood all the way to Minnesota Avenue.

Bear was taken into custody at about 3:30 p.m. shortly after the shooting after surveillance video helped identify him. 

"This person was wearing the same clothes that matched the surveillance we saw in the neighborhood," Clemens said at the time. 

The video showed the person running eastbound away from the home. The person was found near Second Street and Duluth Avenue, but had not been charged with any crime as of Monday evening. 

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Saboe had political aspirations in 2008, when he ran for the South Dakota State Senate as a Republican in the heavily Democratic District 15, which encompasses northern Sioux Falls. He lost to Democratic incumbent Kathy Miles.

Suspect charged with murder and manslaughter

Bear, 45, who used to live in Rapid City, but now resides in Sioux Falls, was booked into the Minnehaha County Jail shortly after midnight Monday.

According to court records, Bear was charged with two counts of first degree murder, one count of second degree murder, two counts of first degree manslaughter, four counts of first degree burglary, first degree attempted murder, three counts of aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a convicted drug offender and committing a felony with a firearm.

Bear was also on parole for previous assaulting behavior, Colwill said. Parole officers had been trying to locate him since Sunday, he said.

Police do not have any information that indicates the situation may have been drug-related, they said.

"We believe we have the person involved with this, so we don't have any danger to the public," Sioux Falls police spokesman Sam Clemens said Monday at the scene. 

Two children were at the home at the time of the shooting at 902 N. Prairie and are now safe with family, Colwill said. 

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Police would not confirm whether Bear lived in the area where the shootings occurred.

Bear has also previously pleaded guilty to at least four counts of simple assault charges and one count of aggravated assault, along with other crimes, according to his criminal background check.

Bear appeared in court on Tuesday afternoon, and a judge set bail at $500,000 cash-only. A court-appointed counsel with the public defender’s office asked judge to keep conversation “limited” in court today. Bear got out of prison one month ago, he told the judge.

Bear was issued no-contact orders regarding the victim Tracy Saboe’s family and the other three surviving victims. His preliminary court date was set for 15 days out.