Bio

Joshua Thomas Gilchrist was born on February 16, 1991, to Betty Jo and Jon Gilchrist. He lived with his family in Huron, South Dakota, along with his 14-year-old sister, Rebekah. His mother, Betty, was a former teacher at Minneota High School in southwest Minnesota who had gone on to work as the children's librarian at the Huron Public Library. 

Both of Josh's parents were active in the Huron Municipal Band, and Josh and Rebekah were both members of the Huron High School band and orchestra. Investigators later said they believed Josh was a collector of swords, though they found no prior background, events, or warning signs that would explain what led to the attack.

Murder Story

At approximately 6:00 a.m. on January 26, 2007, Josh Gilchrist attacked members of his own family with a long sword inside the family's home, which also had a foreign exchange student staying with them at the time. His younger sister, Rebekah, managed to call 911 after Josh had already fatally stabbed their mother, Betty. When officers arrived, Rebekah answered the door covered in blood, screaming, "My brother is killing my mom!" Officers found her with several cuts to her lower arms and hands. The foreign exchange student was also injured in the attack.

As officers moved through the home, one retreated into the kitchen with Rebekah and drew his weapon while Josh ran past them and out the open front door, where Officer Dan Kight, 34, was standing. Josh attacked Kight without warning, swinging the sword downward; Kight raised his arm to block the blow and was struck multiple times on the arm and shoulder, cutting through his uniform, while backing down the front steps and drawing his own weapon. As Kight fell backward after firing a shot, Sergeant Daniel Schlader arrived and, seeing Kight under continued attack, fired several shots that struck and killed Gilchrist. A subsequent state investigation found that examination of the sword showed damage consistent with its earlier use in stabbing his mother, and that toxicology tests on Gilchrist came back negative for drugs and alcohol.

Rebekah Gilchrist was taken to a hospital in Sioux Falls for treatment; her father, Jon Gilchrist, who was not home during the attack, later released a statement saying, "To all those concerned and praying for Bekah, she is stable and improving with non-life-threatening injuries." The foreign exchange student and Officer Kight were both treated at Huron Regional Medical Center and released. Four officers were placed on standard administrative leave pending a review by South Dakota's Division of Criminal Investigation, which is routine procedure whenever police discharge a firearm; the investigation ultimately concluded that all of the responding officers had acted appropriately given the circumstances.

Huron High School Principal Terry Nebelsick said counselors and administrators met with faculty before the school day began, and many students had already heard about the incident before a formal announcement was made around 8:15 a.m.; a number of students spoke with counselors and pastors at the school in the aftermath.