A shooting outside Stewartville High School early Friday morning left one student critically injured and a former graduate dead in an incident that has devastated the small southeastern Minnesota community. The shooting occurred around 5 a.m. in the school parking lot as approximately 40 members of the wrestling team and their coaches gathered to board a bus for a meet. Witnesses heard a gunshot and saw a teenage team member fall to the ground, prompting coaches to immediately rush to his aid and begin rendering first aid. While they were helping the injured student, a second shot rang out, and responders discovered 19 year old Logan Moyer on the ground nearby with a rifle in his hand. Olmsted County Sheriff Kevin Torgerson confirmed that preliminary autopsy results indicate Moyer died from a self inflicted gunshot wound at the scene. The teenage victim was rushed into emergency surgery and remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition as of Sunday evening.
Former Student Had Wrestling Team Connection
Sheriff Torgerson identified the shooter as Logan Moyer, a 2024 Stewartville High School graduate who was a former member of the school’s wrestling team during his time as a student. Authorities clarified that Moyer was not a coach, volunteer, or paid staff member of the current wrestling program, though an obituary indicated he served as an assistant coach during his senior year. The connection between Moyer and the injured student remains under investigation, and officials have not yet determined whether the two wrestled together on the same team. Torgerson praised the quick actions of the coaches who were present during the incident, saying they did a phenomenal job helping the juvenile victim from the very beginning. The injured student, whose identity has not been released publicly, is a current member of the Stewartville wrestling team and continues receiving medical treatment for his injuries. Investigators are working to understand what led to the shooting, though they stress the investigation remains active and ongoing.
Schools Resume With Heavy Hearts And Extra Support
Stewartville Public Schools Superintendent Belinda Selfors announced that classes would resume Monday following the Friday tragedy, with school days focused on providing space, flexibility, and support for students and staff processing the traumatic event. All classes were canceled Friday, and high school choir concerts originally scheduled for Sunday and Monday were postponed as the community began to grapple with the shock and grief. Students returning to campus Monday described feeling emotional as they entered the building for the first time since the incident, with many struggling to process what happened. The district coordinated efforts to support families directly impacted by the tragedy, ensuring they receive compassion, resources, and ongoing care during an impossibly difficult time. Community members gathered Wednesday night for a candlelight vigil, standing side by side as they mourned together five days after the shooting. Support has poured in from across the region, with rival wrestling teams and community members contributing nearly $40,000 to a GoFundMe page benefiting the victims’ families through the Tigers booster club.
Small Town Struggles With Unprecedented Tragedy
Stewartville, located approximately 12 miles south of Rochester, is a close knit community unaccustomed to violence of this magnitude. Sheriff Torgerson called a shooting like this very rare for Stewartville, emphasizing that the town just does not experience these kinds of incidents. State Senator Carla Nelson described the shooting as tragic and extended prayers to the injured student fighting through recovery, along with their family, classmates, coaches, and teachers grieving from unimaginable shock and pain. The Rochester DFL Delegation stated the community has been forever changed by the incident, expressing gratitude for swift law enforcement response while acknowledging this represents another chilling example of threats students face. Local pastor Rick Scott captured the community’s disbelief, noting that like most people, residents thought such violence could not happen in their town. The Stewartville wrestling team plans to continue competing for the remainder of the season, though specific plans for the immediate future remain unclear as athletes, coaches, and families navigate grief and healing.
