Scotland shooting suspect keeps quiet after death of ex-girlfriend, motive unknown

Nov. 10—SCOTLAND — A Scotland man accused of murdering three and seriously injuring two others — including a 5-year-old child — at his ex-girlfriend's home Tuesday evening has kept quiet, authorities say, leaving investigators to piece together what happened.

Francis Lange, 42, of Scotland is facing three counts of first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated assault and one count of commission of a felony with a firearm in Tuesday's shooting, in which authorities say he shot five people.

Authorities in Bon Homme County were called to the 700 block of Second Street in Scotland shortly before 6 p.m. Tuesday after a woman called 911 to report that her mother-in-law had been shot. The caller also said she believed a male was shot.

SCOTLAND INCIDENT UPDATE

On 11/9/21, the Bon Homme Co. SO responded to a report of shots-fired at a Scotland residence. Upon arrival, two subjects were found deceased, while three other subjects had sustained gunshot wounds; one subject later succumbed to their injuries. pic.twitter.com/qFksZyoO9k

— South Dakota DCI (@SouthDakotaDCI) November 10, 2021

When first responders arrived on scene, they located three unresponsive individuals. Two displayed no signs of life at the scene, and a third was transported to a Scotland hospital.

Librado and Angela Monclova were pronounced dead at the scene. Diane Akins was transported to a Scotland hospital, where she later died. The ages of the victims were not immediately available.

Officers on scene took an account from a third party who is a family member of a surviving victim. The third party told law enforcement he went into the house after receiving a phone call that a shooting occurred involving his mother.

The third party went to the scene and found Librado on the couch and believed he was dead. He also located Akins on the floor of the living room and "thought she wasn't doing good."

He told police he heard crying coming from another room in the house, where he located a 5-year-old child who had sustained injuries consistent with a gunshot wound. The child was "wet," and allegedly made a comment about "Frankie" and being shot. The son of the living victim took the child and ran from the home to safety.

The child and the other living victim, known in this story as the third party's mother, were airlifted to a Sioux Falls hospital for "serious, life-threatening injuries that require extensive medical treatment."

Past police service leads to murder weapon recovery

As the son of the living victim gave his account to authorities, a Bon Homme County Deputy recalled a domestic violence incident from months prior where he separated Lange and his then-girlfriend Angela Monclova.

The deputy remembered transporting Lange to his father's house in Scotland, though no charge was filed against either party.

Authorities made their way to Lange's father's house in the 200 block of Third Street. Lange's father told deputies that Lange was in a back bedroom of the home. After calling for Lange to surrender, he was taken into custody without further incident, less than an hour after the shooting had first been reported.

Lange's father told police that Lange owned a Taurus handgun, something he considered to be Lange's "pride and joy."

An arrest affidavit says police located 9-millimeter pistol shell casings, cartridges and a handgun magazine on the floor of the home where the shooting occurred. Outside the home, they located a handgun holster.

Police believed Lange left the scene for his father's house on foot. Lange allegedly commented that he disposed of the firearm "not far" from the scene.

The South Dakota Highway Patrol deployed a police service dog, which located a Taurus G3C 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun — with a magazine inserted into the magazine well — approximately one-half block north of the scene.

A search warrant executed on Lange's father's house located a box for a Taurus handgun under Lange's bed. The serial number on the box matched that of the handgun.

Lange allegedly told authorities that he lived with his father, and confirmed that he used to be in a relationship with Angela Monclova. He did not reveal any information that could suggest a possible motive for the shooting.

The Bon Homme County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday did not comment on where Lange is currently being held, but he was due in a Bon Homme County courtroom for an initial hearing Wednesday afternoon.

Lange was charged with three counts of first-degree murder, each count under the statute's subsection of premeditation.

First-degree murder is a Class A felony, the most serious class of felony, and is punishable by the death penalty or life in prison. South Dakota law mandates a minimum punishment of life in prison upon the conviction of a Class A felony.

This is a developing story. Check back with the Mitchell Republic for updates.