Names of the victim and suspect are expected to be released this morning after a fatal shooting Tuesday night at Myre-Big Island State Park in southern Minnesota. Freeborn County Sheriff Kurt Freitag says the suspect notified authorities, claiming some sort of self-defense, and authorities found the victim: “Windows were up on his car, doors were locked, sunroof was closed. Vehicle was in reverse and the driver’s side window had two bullet holes.” Freitag says the suspect told police the victim had approached him with an object he called a bat. The sheriff says investigators found a golf club but no bat. Authorities say it’s unclear what led to the shooting. They say the suspect’s wife and child were present but uninjured.
Authorities say the suspect had a conceal-carry license but it was not valid in Minnesota. The suspect and victim are both white males in their early to mid-20s and both recently moved to Freeborn County from the Omaha, Nebraska area. Sheriff Freitag says, “Freeborn County/Albert Lea is a nice community and we have issues from time to time, but to have something elevate to this degree is pretty rare.”