Dakota County sheriff investigates Castle Rock homicide–attempted suicide
The Dakota County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a Castle Rock Township incident on 250th Street West that it now characterizes as a homicide and attempted suicide after a domestic episode on Christmas Eve left one person dead and a man with a head wound. Officials say they are probing the shooting, have tied the fatality and the man's injuries to the single incident, and that there is no ongoing threat to the public.
📌 Key Facts
- The Dakota County Sheriff’s Office is formally characterizing the Castle Rock Township incident as a homicide and attempted suicide.
- The incident occurred at a residence on 250th Street West in rural Castle Rock Township, Dakota County.
- A sheriff’s office release — adding context beyond initial police radio summaries — ties a fatal shooting and a man’s head wound to a single domestic episode at that address.
- The sheriff’s office confirms it is investigating the shooting and reiterates there is no ongoing threat to the public.
📊 Relevant Data
Castle Rock Township, Minnesota, has a population of 1,524, with 95.01% of residents identifying as White.
Castle Rock, Minnesota Population 2025 — World Population Review
In 2022, there were at least 51 domestic violence-related homicides in Minnesota, with 41% committed using firearms.
State Data: Minnesota — Center for Gun Violence Solutions, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Between 2021 and 2024, the majority of U.S. counties with the highest gun homicide rates were rural.
The Highest Rates of Gun Homicides Are in Rural Counties — Center for American Progress
In Minnesota, Black residents make up 7.6% of the population but accounted for 57.8% of firearm homicide deaths in 2023.
Gun Death in Minnesota — Violence Policy Center
In 2021, 76% of identified murder perpetrators in Minnesota were African-American, while African-Americans comprise approximately 7% of the state's population.
The demographics of crime in Minnesota, with updated 2022 data — American Experiment
📰 Sources (2)
- Dakota County Sheriff’s Office is formally characterizing the Castle Rock Township incident as a homicide and attempted suicide.
- The sheriff’s office confirms it is investigating the shooting and reiterates there is no ongoing threat to the public.
- Additional context from the sheriff’s release (beyond initial police radio summaries) ties the fatal shooting and the man’s head wound into a single domestic episode at the 250th Street West address.