12-Year-Old VANISHES – Nine Hour Delay

Text graphic highlighting missing person in red among blurred words

A 12-year-old Native American boy vanished from a Rapid City neighborhood, adding to South Dakota’s alarming pattern of missing Indigenous children that demands urgent community action.

Story Highlights

Kyson Whiteplume disappeared Monday afternoon from North 7th Street in Rapid City
Case highlights disturbing trend of missing Native American youth in South Dakota
State database shows 20+ active missing children cases, disproportionately affecting Indigenous communities
Police actively seeking public assistance with tip line at 605-394-4131

Missing Child Alert Issued for Rapid City Boy

Rapid City Police Department issued an urgent Be On the Lookout alert for 12-year-old Kyson Whiteplume, who disappeared Monday afternoon from the 600 block of North 7th Street. The boy was last seen around 2:30 p.m. wearing a distinctive black Jordan hooded sweatshirt, black puffy vest, black jeans, and black and red Jordan shoes. Police received the missing person report at 11:20 p.m., nearly nine hours after his last confirmed sighting in the residential neighborhood.

The American Indian/Alaskan Native youth stands 5’6″ tall, weighs 125 pounds, and has brown eyes and hair. Authorities conducted immediate searches following the report but have not disclosed specific locations checked or any potential leads discovered. The case remains active with police emphasizing the critical need for community assistance in locating the missing child.

Pattern Emerges in Missing Indigenous Youth Cases

Whiteplume’s disappearance reflects a troubling trend documented in South Dakota’s official missing persons database, which lists over 20 active cases involving children ages 1-17. The database reveals a disproportionate number of American Indian/Alaskan Native youth among missing persons, including recent cases like Malaya Aguilar reported missing January 19, 2026, and Spirit Barton missing since June 3, 2025. This pattern particularly affects communities near tribal reservations like Pine Ridge and Oglala Sioux.

Rapid City’s location in Pennington County places it at the intersection of urban and reservation communities, creating unique challenges for law enforcement coordination. The high incidence of missing Native American individuals in this region raises concerns about resource allocation and inter-agency cooperation between local police, tribal authorities, and state agencies. These cases often require specialized cultural understanding and community relationships that traditional law enforcement may lack.

Community Response and Law Enforcement Efforts

The Rapid City Police Department serves as the lead agency coordinating search efforts and public outreach for Whiteplume’s case. Officers have established a dedicated tip line at 605-394-4131, urging residents to report any sightings or relevant information immediately. The department’s public statements emphasize collaborative community involvement as essential to successful resolution, particularly given the nine-hour delay between disappearance and official reporting.

Local residents in the North 7th Street area face heightened vigilance as searches continue without resolution. The case spotlights broader concerns about child safety protocols in high-risk demographics and the need for improved coordination between tribal and state law enforcement agencies. Missing children cases involving Indigenous youth often require culturally sensitive approaches that recognize unique community dynamics and historical law enforcement challenges.