KENSINGTON, Minn. (FOX 9) - An elementary school in the west-central Minnesota town of Kensington is closed Tuesday following an overnight officer-involved shooting near the school property.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office has asked the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to investigate the shooting, which happened just before 1 a.m. Tuesday, May 7.
According to the sheriff’s office, three Douglas County deputies and a Grant County deputy were involved in a physical altercation with a man near the West Central Area South Elementary School at 31 Central Avenue North in Kensington. A Douglas County deputy shot the man, who was taken to the hospital in St. Cloud where he underwent surgery to treat his wounds.
The road in front of the school entrance is closed and classes are canceled Tuesday. The sheriff’s office confirmed the incident is not connected to the school and the general public is not in any danger.
Two Douglas County deputies were taken to Alomere Health in Alexandria where they were treated for injuries and released.
The BCA is processing the scene.
“Overnight an incident took place near the South Elementary School in Kensington. There is no threat to the general public nor to the staff and students of West Central Area School District,” superintendent Barry Schmidt wrote in a letter to district families. “We expect school to resume as normal at South Elementary School tomorrow. If new information becomes available, we will update our families.”
The superintendent said there should be no traffic at the South Elementary School on Tuesday. The 5th grade through 12th grade students that use bus transportation will be taken to Hoffman Square after school, arriving at approximately 3:35 p.m. The activity late bus will not drop off students in Kensington on Tuesday – parents will need to pick up students at Hoffman Square at 6:10 p.m. The district will have staff at Hoffman Square on Tuesday.