Victim died within minutes of accidental shooting

Sioux Falls Police arrested the owner of a gun involved in a fatal, accidental shooting in a Sioux Falls apartment.

Mason Mitzel, 19, faces several drug-related charges after authorities found $30,000 worth of drugs in his car, police said.

He's accused of bringing an AK-47 rifle to the apartment, where it discharged early Saturday, killing 19-year-old Mikael Ashame.

David Randle, Jr., 21, was holding the gun at the time it went off and is charged with one count of first-degree manslaughter.

The bullet struck Ashame in his leg, hitting an artery. He died within minutes, police said.

Paramedics and police arrived at the apartment, 4425 W. Briggs Dr. unit 32, at about 2:40 a.m. to find Randle Jr. and another person administering first aid to Ashame, but their efforts were unsuccessful.

Randle was taken in for questioning and later arrested on one count of first-degree manslaughter, according to Capt. Blaine Larsen.

The others at the party had fled before police arrived, taking the gun with them. Drugs and alcohol were found in the home on West Briggs Drive.

The owner of the gun, Mason Mitzel, 19, was arrested Sunday afternoon when police found $30,000 worth of drugs in his car, Larsen said.

Between 1 and 2 p.m. Sunday, police found Mitzel’s vehicle parked outside a home in the 300 block of East Fir Street in Brandon.

Mitzel was uncooperative, and it took a collective effort between police and the Minnehaha County Sheriff's Office to negotiate and get him out of the home.

In his car, police found eight pounds of marijuana and 81 containers of hash oil, a concentrated form of THC, Larsen said.

Mitzel faces three counts of possession of a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, violation of a drug-free zone, possession of marijuana one to 10 pounds and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.

Both Mitzel and Randle appeared in court Monday afternoon. Judge John Schlimgen set bond for Mitzel at $20,000 cash or surety. Randle is being held on a $100,000 cash-only bond.

Mitzel has no prior drug charges.

Randle pleaded guilty of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon following an incident in June. He had been released on bond on Oct. 14 and had three pending felony charges at the time of the shooting Saturday.

In 2013, Randle pleaded guilty to carrying a handgun without a permit and possession of a misdemeanor amount of marijuana, according to court documents.