1 Killed in Shooting at Minnesota School

A freshman opened fire at a high school Wednesday, killing one student and critically wounding a second before a teacher apparently talked the boy into dropping his gun, authorities said.

The boy was taken into custody after the late-morning shooting at Rocori High School in Cold Spring, a small town about 60 miles northwest of the Twin Cities.

Police said the 15-year-old, who was not identified, was cooperating with authorities, but the motive was not immediately known.

Police Chief Phil Jones said “there was chaos” when police arrived at the school. One student was shot while in the weight room and the other while in the gym.

Aaron Rollins, a senior, died at a hospital after being shot in the neck. Seth Bartell, a freshman, was in critical condition with gunshot wounds to the chest and head.

Officials evacuated the school. Education Department spokesman Doug Gray said it appeared to be Minnesota’s first fatal shooting carried out by a student inside a school.

“There [were] kids crying,” Jamie Toddingham, a junior, told KSTP-TV.

“We were sitting at a window where we could see cops everywhere. I was just thinking ... it could’ve been me.”

Nicole Vogt, a senior, said, “We all thought it was a drill or something, but when the principal went on the intercom, his voice was shaky.”

Jones said that Mark Johnson, a well-respected veteran teacher and coach, talked the boy into handing over what was described as a small-caliber handgun.

When police arrived, Jones said, the boy was in the custody of the school’s staff in an office.

Stearns County Sheriff John Sanner said the shooting has stunned people in Cold Spring, a close-knit community of about 3,000.

“When something of this magnitude happens, it actually shakes the foundation of everybody that lives here,” he said.

“This is very tragic, very sad -- and we’re all trying to understand why.”

The school district’s name, Rocori, comes from the first two letters of the communities it serves: Rockville, Cold Spring and Richmond.

The high school has about 800 students.