2 dead, 1 critically injured after shooting in Willmar
WILLMAR, Minn. (Valley News Live) - Two young men are dead, and a third is in critical condition after a shooting Monday night at a Willmar park, according to police.
Officers were called to the area of Rau Park, in the 1000 block of 7th Street NW, around 8 p.m. Monday for a report of gunshots. Dispatchers told officers two or three people may have been hurt, according to a Willmar Police Department press release.
Police and emergency medical crews arrived and began treating two men, ages 19 and 20, both from Willmar. Both were taken by ambulance to Carris Health hospital in Willmar. One of them died at the hospital. The other was flown by helicopter to St. Cloud Hospital, where he remained in critical condition, police said.
A third man, 19 and also from Willmar, was driven to the Willmar hospital in a personal vehicle. He also died at the hospital, according to police.
Police said they believe the shooting was an isolated incident and not a random act of violence. They do not believe there is an ongoing threat to the public.
Officers secured the scene and interviewed witnesses. Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension crime lab was called in to help process the scene.
Police have not released the names of those involved, citing the need to notify family members first. Investigators said the case remains active and fluid, and more details will be released as they become available.
The Willmar Police Department was assisted by the Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office, Carris Ambulance Service, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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