- The Record Archives
- Volume CXVI, No. XIV - September 25, 2003 - news
Violence erupts at Rocori High
Editorial staff
Editorial staff
One student was killed and another critically injured in a shooting Wednesday morning at Rocori High School.
Rocori High School, named for the towns of Rockville, Cold Spring and Richmond, is located about 12 miles southwest of St. John's and 9 miles south of St. Ben's in Cold Spring.
As of Wednesday evening, Stearns County Sheriff John Sanner said authorities are still investigating and collecting evidence. The suspect in the shooting, identified only as a freshman at Rocori, is being held in the Stearns County Jail.
"The community will begin to pull together," said Cold Spring Police Chief Phil Jones at a news conference Wednesday evening at Cold Spring Elementary School.
CSB/SJU reaction
News about the shooting spread throughout campus Wednesday afternoon.
A number of CSB/SJU students graduated from Rocori and know people at the school.
SJU junior Matt Reichert's brother is a freshman at Rocori, in the same class as the unidentified shooter and Seth Bartell, identified as the critically injured student.
"What if it was my brother?" Reichert said. "It's still numbing. I can't quite get used to the fact that it happened."
"It's something that was never thought possible in Cold Spring," said SJU sophomore Matt Milbert, who lives in Cold Spring. "I knew the senior who was killed."
The dead victim has been identified as Aaron Rollins.
"I guess it kind of hits home when it's your own school more so than it would other people," said Megan Jahnke, a CSB junior who graduated from Rocori. "It's weird to see the school I graduated from and our area on the news and to see familiar faces on T.V. It's kind of surreal."
In addition, many faculty members live in Cold Spring or have students in the district.
"I went right away to get my two kids from the elementary school," said Jeanne Terres, office coordinator for Academic Advising. "It was pretty chaotic."
Campus response
Although the shooting did not directly affect CSB/SJU, counselors are ready in case anyone seeks help.
"Usually what we see after a tragedy is a week to two weeks where people engage in the community, where there are prayer services and people show support for victims and their families," said Dr. Mike Ewing, director of counseling services.
While Ewing said there are no plans to extend office hours, counseling services at both schools will do their best to see people immediately.
Students can walk in from 8 a.m to 4:30 p.m. or make an appointment.
A crisis management plan is in place at CSB/SJU in case any type of disaster were to occur. Unlike a high school's plan, the campuses' is more comprehensive since there is a broader area to cover.
The plan includes emergency response teams such as the police and fire departments, said James Schumann, CSB director of security.
Schumann said, "We think what we have is adequate."