Braham High is grieving for teen couple killed in collision

Braham High School opened its doors Sunday afternoon so students could come together as they mourned the loss of two classmates who died in a car crash the day before.

The Braham School District identified the two as junior Gavin Butenhoff and senior Alexis Hasser, who were dating.

"Gavin and Alexis are treasured members of our Bomber family," Superintendent Ken Gagner said in a statement. Hasser's activities at the school included playing basketball and volleyball.

Butenhoff's twin sister, Grace, also attends the high school in Braham, which is about 60 miles north of the Twin Cities.

"I lost my twin brother. My best friend," she wrote on her Facebook page. "I love you so much Gavin Butenhoff so much baby brother."

The school was open Sunday from 4 to 7 p.m. "for students, staff and the community of Braham as a central gathering place," Gagner said. Licensed counselors and clergy were there for anyone needing help.

"This is a time of deep sadness for our Braham community," Gagner added. "We offer our love and support for all those hurting."

Their vehicle collided with another at a rural intersection in east-central Minnesota. The crash occurred about 9:30 a.m. Saturday about 7 miles east of Mora at 195th Avenue and Rainbow Street, according to the Kanabec County Sheriff's Office.

The Sheriff's Office has not released the circumstances surrounding the crash, which involved a car and a pickup truck that came to rest upside down, according to emergency dispatch audio.

Emergency responders declared a teenage boy dead at the scene, the Sheriff's Office said. The young woman who was driving was taken to North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale and died there.

Dispatch audio indicated two people were in the other vehicle. They were being treated at North Memorial.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482