Locals In Shock After Person Shot By Police In Alexandria

A community reeling after police open fire and kill a person during an undercover investigation in Alexandria.
 
The shooting may have uncovered some hard truths for people living in the western Minnesota city.
 
For locals, it’s not just that police shot and killed someone in their town.

It’s what they were investigating when officers drew their guns.
 
Nicole Froemming says she arrived home around 3 pm Tuesday to a flurry of police activity.
 
“When I got here the tape was up,” Froemming explains. “Cops were everywhere, and we really didn’t know what happened at that point.”
 
What we do know is agents with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension were targeting a house across the street as part of an investigation into the solicitation of minors.

The subject matter appalling to locals.
 
“We couldn’t believe this had happened,” adds Erica Vipond of Alexandria. “I was just really shocked. That could have been me or my friend, you know?”
 
Eventually, two agents opened fire.

One person died at the scene, just feet from where children play at a playground.
 
“It just should not happen. I know it’s around, but when it hits this close to home it’s very scary,” adds Froemming.
 
Froemming says she doesn’t think anyone was living in the house.

But now she’s worried a new criminal precedent could be moving into Alexandria.
 
It could still be more things out there that shouldn’t be, and it’s scary that it happens in our town.

The St. Paul Police Department is overseeing the investigation into the shooting at the request of the BCA.