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Crime, Law and Justice
Catharine Richert
Plainview, Minn.

Plainview on edge as law enforcement investigates student incidents

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Residents of Plainview are on edge as law enforcement investigates two incidents that occurred in the week leading up to homecoming.

The first incident involves what Plainview Police Chief Jason Timm described as an alleged assault involving one victim and several perpetrators.

The second allegedly involves a minor being shot at by fellow students with paintballs while driving, causing an estimated $1,200 damage to his truck.

Both incidents involve Plainview-Elgin-Millville High School students, though the two events don’t appear to be related. They do contribute to a picture of a chaotic and unruly week among some students in advance of homecoming, where school officials abruptly canceled some homecoming-related events. 

A letter sent to parents Wednesday from Darrin Strosahl, the school district superintendent, revealed the alleged assault prompted school officials to bring in an outside investigator to look into the matter further after an initial review found students had only violated the district’s code of conduct. 

New information

The first incident surfaced this week in the form of a short video. Timm said it shows a student  who has allegedly been tied up, assaulted and possibly left alone for some time. 

“We received information that we don't feel is limited to just a conduct issue,” he said. “It's more on a potentially criminal level as far as assault."

He said his office is interviewing witnesses and suspects, and will decide in coming days whether to refer the matter to the Wabasha County Attorney’s Office.

Strosahl, the superintendent, wrote the district is poised to take further action.

“What we can share is that certain behaviors were unacceptable and we issued corrective actions,” he wrote. “We will continue to investigate as new information becomes available. In that manner, we are involving an independent investigator in the on-going investigation.”

Meanwhile, Jessica McNallan said fellow students allegedly shot paintballs at her son while he was driving on a dark, rural road last Wednesday night, causing $1,200 worth of damage to his truck.  

“There were paint balls that hit his truck while he was driving. He’s 16, he's a very novice driver. He was obviously distracted with that. And then literally seconds later, his back windshield shattered behind his head while he was driving,” she said. 

Police were called to the scene after her son pulled over. The Wabasha County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the matter.