Olmsted County deputies say the suspected gunman died by suicide at the scene.
STEWARTVILLE, Minn. — A teenage student was shot early Friday in the lot outside Stewartville High School as athletes prepared to leave for a wrestling tournament, authorities said. The suspected shooter, an adult man, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound moments later as deputies and medics arrived.
The attack came just after 5 a.m., when coaches and students were gathering gear and moving toward a bus, according to the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office. The student was transported to Mayo Clinic in Rochester for emergency surgery. By late morning, the student’s family said the teen was in “critical but stable condition.” Investigators cordoned off the south parking area, where several vehicles, duffel bags and a parked activity bus marked the team’s staging spot. The motive was not immediately known, and authorities did not say whether the gunman had any connection to the teenager.
Deputies said they are interviewing witnesses and reviewing security video from the school and nearby businesses to map out the minutes before the gunfire. The sheriff’s office did not release the identities of the student or the shooter, citing privacy and next-of-kin notifications. Evidence technicians documented shell casings and collected footage while other deputies escorted remaining students into the building. The district’s custodial staff and early-arriving teachers assisted with sheltering students indoors as emergency crews cleared a route for the ambulance.
The shooting disrupted what was supposed to be a routine departure for a winter tournament, a scene familiar in small Minnesota towns where teams often leave before sunrise. Stewartville sits along U.S. 63, a short drive from Rochester, and the school’s lots are bordered by homes and small businesses with security cameras that could help fill in the timeline. While mass-casualty school shootings draw national headlines, officials emphasized this incident was contained to the parking lot and that there was no ongoing threat once deputies secured the scene.
The Southeast Minnesota Medical Examiner’s Office will perform an autopsy on the shooter and confirm his identity. The sheriff’s office said it will release the name after family notifications and will issue an update when detectives complete initial interviews with the team, coaches and staff present at the time. Investigators also requested 911 recordings and dispatch logs to verify the sequence of calls and response times. Any administrative review by the district will follow the law enforcement investigation, officials said.
Parents arriving later in the morning described a heavy law enforcement presence and bus lights still on as crime scene tape cut across the lot. A neighbor who often watches practice departures said he saw deputies posting cones near the activity entrance. A district employee said staff helped students gather belongings from inside while waiting for instructions. By midday, crews had begun removing markers after technicians finished photographing vehicles and mapping the scene.
As of Friday afternoon, investigators said the shooter’s family is cooperating and that more details, including the shooter’s name and autopsy findings, will be released after the medical examiner’s preliminary report. No additional injuries were reported.
Author note: Last updated January 11, 2026.