A South Dakota man thought he was coming to the rescue of a woman he'd met on Tinder when he fired hollow-point bullets at a Wyoming man outside his mobile home, authorities say. Now Drake Ingalls is facing a second-degree murder charge and sitting in jail on $250,000 bond.
Background
Ingalls, 24, had been talking to a woman online for several weeks before they finally met in person, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by Cowboy State Daily. The woman told Ingalls that Jason Greene, a man in Weston County, Wyoming, had been messaging her and using derogatory language. She also claimed Greene had abused her in the past.
When she asked Ingalls to drive her to meet Greene "so she could talk to him," he agreed — driving nearly 90 minutes to reach Greene's residence, the affidavit states. Before they arrived, the woman gave Ingalls specific instructions: if she yelled for help, he was to come assist her.
Greene, authorities say, had no idea the two were coming. Upon their arrival at his mobile home, a "heated verbal argument" erupted between Greene and the woman.
The Investigation
According to police, Ingalls told investigators he heard the woman "yelling loudly" for help and went to investigate. He claimed he observed Greene struggling with the woman near the doorway of the trailer, describing it as Greene behind her with his arms hooked under her armpits and another hand on her head or hair — appearing to try to pull her inside.
Ingalls told police he retrieved his 9mm Glock 17 from his car, chambered a hollow-point round, and pointed the weapon at Greene, demanding he release the woman. When Greene allegedly refused, Ingalls said he fired.
"Ingalls could only see Greene's chest as [the woman] was in front of him and he believed he shot him right in the middle of the chest," the affidavit states.
The turn came when investigators interviewed the woman Ingalls had come to protect. She told police that Greene never grabbed or assaulted her during their argument — and that Ingalls "did not need to shoot that gun at all."
Ingalls and the woman allegedly drove around the block after the shooting before returning to the scene to call 911. He was arrested and booked into custody.
Key Takeaways
- Drake Ingalls, 24, of South Dakota is charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Jason Greene in Weston County, Wyoming
- The shooting occurred during an early morning confrontation at Greene's mobile home after a Tinder date gone wrong
- Ingalls told police he used hollow-point ammunition from his Glock 9mm because he believed Greene was assaulting the woman
- The woman later told investigators that Greene never grabbed or assaulted her and the shooting was unnecessary
- Ingalls is being held on $250,000 cash-only bond
What's Next
Ingalls is due in court for a preliminary hearing on August 19. The case will proceed through Weston County Circuit Court, where prosecutors must present evidence supporting the second-degree murder charge. Defense attorneys may challenge Ingalls' claim of self-defense or defense of others, particularly given the woman's contradictory statement to police.