Two fatally shot at Cottage Grove Ravine Park

Two people were found dead from gunshot wounds early Wednesday at Cottage Grove Ravine Regional Park in Cottage Grove, Minnesota, after police responded to reports of shots fired around 6:11 a.m.^[1]

Cottage Grove police and the Washington County Sheriff's Office set up a perimeter and closed the park as they launched a joint investigation, speaking with at least one witness at the scene.^[1] Authorities said the victims knew each other, the shooting does not appear random, and there is no active threat to the wider community.^[1]

Initial information released by investigators has focused on securing the scene and reassuring nearby residents while they work to determine what led to the gunfire between people who appear to have had some prior relationship.^[1] Officials have not publicly identified the victims, detailed the nature of their connection, or said whether they are searching for any suspects beyond the people already found at the park.^[1]

Police activity at Cottage Grove Ravine Regional Park has drawn attention in part because major incidents in suburban or regional parks are relatively rare, and early public alerts about a "shots fired" call often raise fears of a random attack. Investigators have moved quickly to stress that the case appears isolated and that there is no ongoing danger, a message that mirrors how other agencies in the Twin Cities have handled shootings between acquaintances or family members in public spaces. As of early Wednesday afternoon, officials continued to process the park as a crime scene, and said more information would be released as the investigation develops.^[1]

1. FOX 9