Rocori High School shooting
| Rocori High School Shooting | |
|---|---|
| Location | Rocori High School, Cold Spring, Minnesota, United States |
| Coordinates | 45°27′48″N 94°25′42″W / 45.4633°N 94.4283°WCoordinates: 45°27′48″N 94°25′42″W / 45.4633°N 94.4283°W |
| Date | September 24, 2003 |
|
Attack type
|
School shooting |
| Weapons | .22-caliber pistol |
| Deaths | 2 |
| Perpetrator | John Jason McLaughlin |
The Rocori High School shooting was a school shooting that occurred at Rocori High School on September 24, 2003 in Cold Spring, Minnesota, United States. The shooter was identified as Rocori High freshman John Jason McLaughlin, who shot and killed 15-year-old freshman Seth Bartell and 17-year-old senior Aaron Rollins. Prior to the shooting, McLaughlin was described as a "quiet and withdrawn" student with severe acne.
On September 24, 2003, McLaughlin arrived at school with a loaded Colt .22-caliber handgun with the intention of killing Bartell, whom McLaughlin claimed bullied him over his acne. McLaughlin met Bartell and Rollins as they were exiting the school locker room. He shot at Bartell, hitting him in the chest. McLaughlin fired a second shot at Bartell, which missed and hit Rollins in the neck, killing him instantly. Bartell attempted to flee the scene, but was followed by McLaughlin, who fired another shot at Bartell, hitting him in the forehead. Gym coach Mark Johnson then confronted McLaughlin, who initially brandished the gun at Johnson and then emptied the bullets from the gun and dropped it. Johnson secured the gun and took McLaughlin to the school office.
Bartell was taken to the St. Cloud Hospital, where he was treated for severe head and brain trauma. Bartell died 16 days later, on October 11, 2003.
The trial began on July 5, 2005. The defense argued that McLaughlin did not plan to kill anyone and that the teen had only intended to scare Bartell. The prosecution argued that the deaths were premeditated, as McLaughlin had stated to police that he had planned the shooting "several days in advance". Six mental health experts were brought in to testify in court. Three of the experts diagnosed McLaughlin with schizophrenia while the other three diagnosed him with major depression in remission and an "emerging personality disorder".
McLaughlin was found guilty of first and second-degree murder.
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