Teen injured in Cold Spring school shooting still critical

ST. CLOUD, Minn. -- A ventilator breathes for Seth Bartell. Nurses sit by his side day and night, monitoring the effects of the bullet that struck him in the forehead and lodged at the back of his brain.

Bartell, 14, was hit when authorities say a fellow student opened fire inside Rocori High School, critically injuring Bartell and killing 17-year-old Aaron Rollins. Bartell's doctor said Friday it is remarkable he survived.

The suspect, a freshman, was charged Friday with second-degree murder in Rollins' death.

Inside a pediatric intensive care unit, Bartell's bed props him up to help keep the swelling in his skull down, said Dr. Dan Whitlock, who spoke on behalf of the family.

The teenager has been able to move his arms and legs, but remains sedated, said his doctor, Patricia Scherrer. She said he has a severe head and brain injury "that has threatened his life and creates concerns for his future." He remained in critical condition Saturday morning.

The State Attorney General's office filed a second-degree murder charge against 15-year-old Jason McLaughlin, according to his attorney, Dan Eller. He also said prosecutors filed papers to have McLaughlin charged as an adult.

McLaughlin has been "overwhelmed" by the ramifications of the shootings, Eller said.

"It's just difficult for him to understand how it happened," he said.

The court hearing was closed because McLaughlin is a juvenile, and a spokeswoman for the attorney general's office said she could not comment.

Authorities say McLaughlin initially shot the two boys in a hallway outside the weight room with a .22-caliber pistol, one from a range of about 10 feet and the other from about 50 feet. Rollins, hit once in the neck, was left bleeding. Bartell, a freshman, was hit superficially in the chest and made it up a flight of stairs into the gym. His attacker followed, caught up with him and shot him in the forehead.

It wasn't clear whether McLaughlin knew the two victims and authorities refused to identify a motive.

The McLaughlins, in a statement, offered "our deepest sympathy to everyone involved in this terrible tragedy." Jason McLaughlin is the son of Stearns County sheriff's deputy.

Bartell's family thanked the community for its support and also expressed sympathy for the McLaughlins: "We are so sorry for all they have gone through."

Also Friday, students returned for classes for the first time since the shootings. A banner by the front door of the school read "Aaron we'll miss you," flowers were placed at its base and there were photos of each victim.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty ordered Minnesota flags to be flown at half staff at schools Monday and asked schools to observe a moment of silence.

"Our hearts go out to the families and friends of all those involved in this tragedy -- and to the Cold Spring community," he said.

The Rocori district serves about 2,300 students from the central Minnesota towns of Rockville, Cold Spring and Richmond, about 60 miles northwest of the Twin Cities.