Jami Johnson Jr., who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for his role in a 2025 shooting that killed two Lower Brule youths, Tayshawn Battese and Teron Sazue, was sentenced Wednesday, July 29 to 17 years in federal prison. ADVERTISEMENTJudge Eric C. Schulte delivered the judgment following three hours of statements from family members and neighbors from Lower Brule in an emotionally charged sentencing hearing. The prosecution presented a witness for cross-examination who presented a number of pieces of evidence indicating links to an established and violent gang in the area. The men were shot and killed on Aug. 11, 2025 on the Lower Brule Reservation just across the river following the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe’s annual powwow. The prevalence of violent crime on the reservations was at various times alluded to or outright addressed by the community statements during the sentencing hearings.