Murder & Shootings Mark Week of Violent Crime in Minnesota Town

Moorhead, MN (KROC-AM News)- The first full week of August has been a violent one for a Minnesota town.

Moorhead Police Respond to Fatal Stabbing & 2 Shootings In Less Than a Week

The first shooting happened around 4:00 on the morning of August 2. Officers responded to the 1500 block of Belsly Blvd. on the report of a bystander hearing gunshots.

An officer in the area also heard gunfire, a news release says. Police reported finding four spent shell casings near the scene of the call.

No injuries were reported. As of Thursday morning no arrests have been made.

Two days later, police were called to the report of a fatal stabbing in the 1000 block of 3rd Ave. North around midnight.

Officers encountered a man, later identified as 47-year-old Willard DeGroat, suffering from a stab wound to the chest. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Police say the suspect, identified as 47-year-old Connie Jo Frank, returned to the scene and was taken into custody.

Frank. Clay County Jail Roster

She has since made her first court appearance on a second-degree murder charge. A news release says DeGroat and Frank knew each other.

The latest violent crime was reported Wednesday night in the 1000 block of 14th St. South. Responding officers learned an exchange of gunfire followed a property dispute around 7:10 p.m.

The shots are believed to have been fired when one of the parties involved in the dispute, who later reported the shooting, left in a vehicle.

Officers found the vehicle and detained two men. Police at the scene of the reported gunfire exchange detained an adult male. No names have been released.

At last report the three suspects were being interviewed by officers. No one was hurt, however the gunfire exchange caused property damage, a news release says.