2003 Rocori High School Shooting

On September 24, 2003, a school shooting occurred at Rocori High School in Cold Spring, Minnesota. John Jason McLaughlin, a 15-year-old freshman, arrived at the school with a loaded Colt .22 caliber handgun. According to accounts presented in court, McLaughlin intended to kill fellow freshman Seth Bartell, whom he claimed had bullied him over his acne.

McLaughlin encountered Bartell and senior Aaron Rollins as they were exiting the school locker room. He fired at Bartell, hitting him in the chest, then fired a second shot that missed Bartell, ricocheted off a wall, and struck Rollins in the neck. Rollins died quickly from this wound. Bartell attempted to flee but was followed by McLaughlin, who fired again, hitting him in the forehead. Gym coach Mark Johnson confronted McLaughlin, who briefly aimed the gun at Johnson before emptying the bullets and dropping the weapon after Johnson raised his hand and shouted for him to stop. Johnson secured the firearm and escorted McLaughlin to the school office.

Bartell was taken to St. Cloud Hospital, where he was treated for head injury and brain trauma. He died on October 11, 2003, sixteen days after the shooting.

McLaughlin's trial began on July 5, 2005. His defense argued he had not planned to kill anyone and only intended to scare Bartell. Prosecutors argued the killings were premeditated, citing McLaughlin's statements to police that he had planned the shooting several days in advance. Six mental health experts testified during the trial; three 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-degree and second-degree murder.

In August 2005, McLaughlin was sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder and a consecutive 12 years for second-degree murder. Before sentencing, his attorneys sought to have him declared insane at the time of the shooting, which would have resulted in placement at a mental hospital rather than a correctional facility. The judge ruled that McLaughlin was sane at the time of the killings, citing his writings and a videotaped confession detailing his planning. He was also ordered to pay $15,000 in restitution to the Minnesota Crime Victims Reparations Board. McLaughlin has been incarcerated at Minnesota Correctional Facility – Stillwater and later Minnesota Correctional Facility – Oak Park Heights, and is not eligible for parole until 2038.

In September 2006, the families of Rollins and Bartell filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the McLaughlin family, the Rocori school district, and former Principal Doug Standke, alleging the district had prior knowledge of the potential shooting roughly a week before it occurred and could have prevented it. The lawsuit was initially dismissed but later settled out of court for $200,000.