Police: Man Fires Shot At School Before Shooting Himself
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Authorities said a 48-year-old Falcon Heights man died Monday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after firing a gunshot at a Roseville preschool.
Police responded to the 2100 block of Fairview Avenue at about 3:07 p.m. after a report of a shot fired through a school kitchen window at Hand in Hand Montessori School. Before officers could confront the man, he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
When officers arrived to investigate, they entered the school through the north parking plot and observed a suspicious sedan parked and occupied. An officer made eye contact with the man and noticed something was off. By the time the officer pulled up to the vehicle, the man was dead.
A preliminary investigation shows a friend of the man had called police to report that he was making suicidal statements earlier in the day. Officers from the St. Anthony Police Department were attempting to contact the man at his residence when they were notified that he was dead.
Authorities said they are still trying to determine why the man fired a shot at the Montessori school kitchen before taking his own life. It's not uncommon for those contemplating suicide with a firearm to test the weapon first, police said.
At the time of the shooting, there were two Montessori staff members inside the kitchen. The cafeteria was empty as students were preparing to leave for the day. Nobody at the school was injured in the incident.
The incident remains under investigation.
