A student was critically injured and an adult gunman died by suicide after an early-morning shooting outside Stewartville High School in Minnesota. The incident occurred as the wrestling team gathered to board a bus. Authorities say the gunman shot the student before turning the weapon on himself.
Authorities say a man shot a male student outside Stewartville High School in southern Minnesota early Friday morning (December 12) before dying by suicide. The shooting occurred around 5 a.m. in the school’s parking lot at 440 6th Avenue Southwest in Stewartville, Minnesota.
Deputies, school staff, Stewartville First Responders, Stewartville Fire, and Mayo Clinic Ambulance Service rushed to the scene after receiving multiple emergency calls.
Wrestling team preparing to travel
According to the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office, a bus was parked outside the school to transport the wrestling team to a meet. As members were gathering, a gunshot rang out. Coaches and students then discovered a teenage teammate on the ground.
Moments later, a second gunshot was heard. Deputies found an adult man nearby with a rifle, dead from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Student critical but in stable condition
Sheriff Kevin Torgerson confirmed the student was immediately treated by coaches and emergency personnel before being transported to Mayo Clinic, where he underwent surgery.
The victim’s family authorized officials to share that he is in critical but stable condition.
Torgerson praised the immediate response at the scene: “Those coaches did a phenomenal job right from the get-go to help the juvenile victim.”
Gunman dead; motive unknown
The deceased adult has not been identified publicly. Authorities say they are still working to determine the relationship between the shooter and the student.
The sheriff described the incident as highly unusual for the area: “We just don’t have that kind of thing here.”
Investigation ongoing
The Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office is still examining the events leading up to the shooting as they work to determine a motive and connection between the individuals involved.
Stewartville is located about 12 miles south of Rochester.