MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | Two Men Killed and Third Critically Wounded in Willmar Park Shooting

WILLMAR, MN (September 23, 2026). Two 19-year-old men were killed and a 20-year-old man was critically wounded in a shooting at Rau Park in Willmar, prompting an investigation involving local police and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

Willmar police were dispatched at approximately 8 p.m. Monday, September 21, after receiving reports of gunfire near the park in the 1000 block of Seventh Street NW. The park is located beside Foot Lake and west of the Kandiyohi County Fairgrounds.

Police and emergency medical personnel found two wounded men at the scene and began lifesaving treatment. Both were transported to a Willmar hospital. One of the 19-year-old victims died there, while the 20-year-old victim was airlifted to a hospital in St. Cloud in critical condition.

A second 19-year-old man arrived separately at another area hospital with gunshot wounds and later died.

Authorities had not publicly identified a suspect or disclosed what preceded the shooting as of Tuesday’s announcement. Police described the violence as an isolated incident and said investigators did not believe it represented an ongoing threat to the wider public.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is assisting Willmar police. The absence of an announced arrest means the circumstances, sequence of gunfire and relationship among those involved remain central unresolved questions.

Investigators have asked anyone with information or relevant recordings to contact the Willmar Police Department.

Sources: Willmar Police Department information reported by CBS Minnesota, FOX 9 and other Minnesota news organizations.

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