6. The Massacre Unfolds
When violence broke out, elders say panic and terror swept through the camp. Bullets tore through tipis, and families tried desperately to shield loved ones. Testimonies speak of acts of courage—parents sheltering children, elders guiding the frightened to safety. Official reports often downplay the chaos, but oral histories describe indiscriminate firing and the loss of innocent lives. Many Lakota remember the snow stained red and the cries for mercy, painting a far more human and tragic picture than the records suggest.
