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Minneapolis man in custody after shooting on Fond du Lac Reservation in Cloquet

Mourners helped restrain the suspect until police could arrive

By Katie Galioto and

Pam Louwagie

October 19, 2019 at 1:08AM

CLOQUET, MINN. - A Minneapolis man was arrested on suspicion of shooting another man Friday morning during a funeral on the Fond du Lac Reservation.

The 28-year-old suspect was booked into the Carlton County jail on second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and other pending charges in the incident that sent a school and tribal offices into lockdown for more than two hours.

The condition of the victim, a 45-year-old man also from Minneapolis, was unknown, but his injuries were not believed to be life-threatening, interim police chief Derek Randall said at a news conference Friday afternoon.

The incident happened at the Head Start building's gymnasium, where mourners had gathered for a funeral that was scheduled to start at 10 a.m. Several people in attendance intervened and helped restrain the suspect until law enforcement took him into custody, Randall said.

Authorities didn't yet know the motive for the shooting, but Randall said they believe it was an isolated incident.

"We don't believe there are any other threats to our community at this time," he said.

The suspect has been convicted of three felony assaults dating back to 2010, meaning he is being held pending an additional felony charge because Minnesota law bans anyone convicted of a violent crime from possessing a firearm.

The Star Tribune generally does not name suspects until they have been charged.

Officers first responded to reports of a shooting at the Fond du Lac Ojibwe School, but when they arrived, they learned it was at the nearby Head Start building.

There were no children in the Head Start building at the time, Randall said.

School was not in session because of the Minnesota Educator Academy (MEA) break, although some students were at the school for another event.

The preliminary investigation shows a single shot was fired and one person was struck, authorities said. Authorities are still trying to determine the relationship between the two men. Officers recovered a firearm at the scene and are continuing to interview the numerous witnesses as well as review video surveillance.

Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Chairman Kevin Dupuis Sr. said mental health services were being offered to witnesses of the shooting. Community members made alternate plans for the funeral before sundown, keeping with cultural traditions.

Rita Aspinwall, communications director for the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, said earlier Friday that "these kinds of situations happen everywhere, but it really hurts when it happens in your own community."

katie.galioto@startribune.com • 612-673-4478

pam.louwagie@startribune.com • 612-673-7102

People walked away from the community center in Fond Du Lac after the lock down was lifted. The gymnasium inside is where a man was shot in the head only two hours earlier.
People walked away from the community center in Fond Du Lac after the lock down was lifted. The gymnasium inside is where a man was shot in the head only two hours earlier. (Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Interim Chief of Police for Cloquet, Derek Randall, gave a short informal press conference across the street from the community center. ] ALEX KORMANN • alex.kormann@startribune.com A man was shot at a funeral in the Fond Du Lac Community Center gymnasium at approximately 9:46AM on Friday October 18, 2019. Schools, hospitals and tribal buildings were on lock down for over two hours.
Interim Chief of Police for Cloquet, Derek Randall, gave a short informal press conference across the street from the community center where a Minneapolis man was shot at a funeral. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
People walked away from the community center in Fond Du Lac after the lock down was lifted. The gymnasium inside is where a man was shot in the head only two hours earlier. ] ALEX KORMANN • alex.kormann@startribune.com A man was shot at a funeral in the Fond Du Lac Community Center gymnasium at approximately 9:46AM on Friday October 18, 2019. Schools, hospitals and tribal buildings were on lock down for over two hours.
People walked away from the community center in Fond Du Lac after the lock down was lifted. The gymnasium inside is where a man was shot in the head only two hours earlier. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
People walked away from the community center in Fond Du Lac after the lock down was lifted. The gymnasium inside is where a man was shot in the head only two hours earlier. ] ALEX KORMANN • alex.kormann@startribune.com A man was shot at a funeral in the Fond Du Lac Community Center gymnasium at approximately 9:46AM on Friday October 18, 2019. Schools, hospitals and tribal buildings were on lock down for over two hours.
People walked away from the community center in Fond Du Lac after the lock down was lifted. The gymnasium inside is where a man was shot in the head only two hours earlier. ] ALEX KORMANN • alex.kormann@startribune.com A man was shot at a funeral in the Fond Du Lac Community Center gymnasium at approximately 9:46AM on Friday October 18, 2019. Schools, hospitals and tribal buildings were on lock down for over two hours. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
about the writers

about the writers

Katie Galioto

Reporter

Katie Galioto is a business reporter for the Minnesota Star Tribune covering the Twin Cities’ downtowns.

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Pam Louwagie

Reporter

Pam Louwagie is a regional reporter for the Minnesota Star Tribune. She previously covered courts and legal affairs and was on the newspaper's investigative team. She now writes frequently about a variety of topics in northeast Minnesota and around the state and region.

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