A 17-year-old from Walker, Minnesota is dead, his killer still unidentified weeks after he was found shot in a rural yard near Cass Lake, and investigators say a gathering of people nearby may hold the answers nobody has come forward with yet. Dylon Oothoudt was found dead on Sept. 13, and as of Tuesday, no arrests had been made in the case.
Oothoudt was discovered in the yard of a residence near Cass Lake, though reports differ on the exact address. According to FOX 9, he was found in the 1600 block of John Moose Drive Northeast in Pike Bay Township, while MPR News also places the scene on the 1600 block of John Moose Drive NW in Pike Bay Township. A separate account from WDIO puts the residence on the 1700 block of John Moose Drive NW in the same township.
The Ramsey County Medical Examiner ruled that Oothoudt died from a gunshot wound and determined his death a homicide, per the same MPR News report. MPR News reported that no firearm was recovered at the scene. FOX 9 reported that the gun used in the shooting had not been recovered.
Multiple Agencies Join the Hunt for Answers
The case has drawn a wide law enforcement response. The Cass County Sheriff's Office is leading the investigation alongside the Leech Lake Tribal Police Department, with the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension also assisting, the MPR News report states.
Investigators have identified a gathering of people who were in the area around the time of the shooting, and officials believe others may have witnessed or even been involved in what happened, according to the same account. What brought Oothoudt to that particular yard, and whether he was specifically targeted, has not been determined.
Public Pressed to Come Forward With Tips
Authorities held a news conference Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, calling on the public for help solving the shooting. Investigators are asking people to come forward with any information about the incident, The Forum reports, and officials stressed that those with information regarding Dylon's case may remain anonymous.
Tips can be sent anonymously to the Cass County Sheriff's Office or Minnesota Crime Stoppers, the MPR News report notes. Reports have listed slightly different phone numbers for the sheriff's office, so anyone with information is encouraged to reach out through either the sheriff's office or Crime Stoppers' established tip channels.
Even as the investigation drags on without an arrest, the Star Tribune reports that friends, relatives and community leaders gathered for a candlelight vigil, a sign of how deeply the teen's death has shaken the small community around Cass Lake.
For now, the case remains open, and the people closest to Oothoudt are left waiting alongside investigators for the tip that could finally identify who pulled the trigger.
