Two 19-year-old men are dead, and a 20-year-old man is fighting for his life after a shooting erupted near Rau Park in northwest Willmar on Monday night. Police say officers and emergency personnel tried to save two of the men at the scene before rushing them to area hospitals, but the violence ultimately claimed both of their lives.
According to WJON News, the shooting happened at about 8 p.m. Monday in the area of Rau Park. Willmar police were dispatched to the park at that time after a report of gunfire, according to willmarradio.com, which places the park at the 1000 block of 7th Street Northwest. The West Central Tribune reported that officers responded to a reported shooting near the Kandiyohi County Fairgrounds in that same stretch of northwest Willmar.
Per WJON's reporting, one victim, a 19-year-old Willmar resident, was transported to Carris Health hospital and later died there. A second victim, described as a 20-year-old, was flown by helicopter to St. Cloud Hospital and remained in critical condition. A third man, also 19 and a Willmar resident, was taken to Carris Health by personal vehicle rather than by ambulance, and he died at the hospital as well.
Scene Remained Cordoned Off Into Tuesday
The West Central Tribune's report noted that five to six police squad vehicles were positioned along the stretch of road near the Foot Lake fishing docks and Rau Park in the hours after the shooting. The outlet reported that the area of northwest Willmar where the shooting occurred remained cordoned off by investigators early Tuesday as the case developed.
Willmar police said investigators were still on scene as the response continued, according to WJON. Early reporting from Hindustan Times noted that the condition of those shot and a possible motive were not immediately known in the hours right after the incident, before later local reporting confirmed the two deaths and the third victim's critical condition.
Police Say No Ongoing Threat, but Case Remains Fluid
The West Central Tribune reported that the Willmar Police Department said the investigation into the shooting remains fluid, but that it is not believed there is a current threat to the public. WJON's reporting adds that police believe the incident was isolated and was not a random act of violence, and that the Willmar police chief described the case as very fluid while stressing that the investigation remains active.
The names of the men involved have not been released, according to WJON's reporting. Scanner-based accounts circulating online suggested roughly 30 shots may have been fired and referenced a possible getaway vehicle, but those details have not been independently confirmed and should be treated with caution. No motive was known, and suspect details were unavailable as the investigation continues.
