Oct. 11, 2003: Town reels anew at death

Seth Bartell, the 14-year-old who galvanized this central Minnesota town with hope after he survived a bullet to the head during the shooting at Rocori High School last month, died early Friday afternoon, St. Cloud Hospital officials said.

Bartell's death came just as the hospital held a news conference to say the teen was still alive but that his condition had deteriorated over the past 48 hours. The briefing was held to combat erroneous rumors Thursday night that the teen had already died.

St. Cloud Hospital officials said the staff caring for Bartell did not immediately report the boy's death to those involved in the news conference in order to give the family privacy and time to notify relatives and friends.

News that Bartell was really gone brought fresh grief to a town still dealing with the tragedy that unfolded Sept. 24. A fellow student allegedly gunned down schoolmates Bartell and Aaron Rollins, 17, with a handgun brought to the Cold Spring school that day in a school bag.

Jason McLaughlin, 15, a Rocori freshman, has been charged with second-degree murder in Stearns County Juvenile Court in connection with the shooting.

Rollins, a senior, died within hours. But Bartell, a teenager described by friends as an energetic skateboarder, snowboarder and extreme-sports enthusiast, remained unconscious and in critical condition for 16 days in St. Cloud.

"I think everybody was hoping for a miracle," said Lynn Schurman, vice chair of the Rocori school board.

Dr. Kenneth Maslonka, a pediatric critical-care specialist at Children's Hospitals in the Twin Cities, said St. Cloud doctors faced a difficult challenge.

Maslonka said that swelling is the brain's natural response to an injury. The more severe the injury, the more swelling there is.

Pressure builds up inside the skull and blood flow decreases, potentially leading to serious tissue damage or death as the brain loses its ability to regulate critical body functions.

Drugs and catheters can help, but their effectiveness is limited.

"It can be a losing battle," Maslonka said.

Dan Eller, McLaughlin's St. Cloud attorney, said the teen could face additional murder charges now that Bartell has died.

Eller said it's not clear whether Bartell's death will make it more difficult for McLaughlin to stay in the juvenile system. The Minnesota attorney general's office, which is prosecuting the case at the request of Stearns County officials, wants to try McLaughlin as an adult.

The attorney general's office declined to comment on the case Friday because it involves a juvenile.

Eller said the McLaughlin family has been following news reports on Bartell's condition. "They're just as crushed about this as anyone," he said. "I'm sure their hearts go out to them. There isn't anything else left to say."

Rocori students who had just begun to recover from the shooting were bracing for another round of grief.

Rocori Superintendent Scott Staska said he plans to make counselors available to students Monday.

Staska and school officials apparently helped spread misinformation Thursday night that Bartell had died that evening.

Staska told reporters that Bartell had died shortly before 7 p.m., attributing that information to a school staff member who was at the hospital. The report was picked up by media around the state, but Staska backed off a few hours later, saying that school officials didn't know if Bartell was alive or not.

Staska said a member of his staff was in the hospital Thursday evening and had mistakenly reported Bartell's death to the high school principal after talking to the family. The principal then told Staska.

"What had been shared with us was that some discussions had been made by the family, and I guess it was more anticipation than event," Staska said. "Seth was much stronger" than was thought at the time, he said.

Later in the day, the news of his death evoked a rapid outpouring of sympathy in Cold Spring.

"I can't imagine what they're going through," said the Rev. Cletus Connors, pastor of St. Boniface Catholic Church.

Connors said he has offered the use of the St. Boniface parish hall to the Bartell family, who are not Catholic, because it is the largest church in the area. They could choose their own minister, he said.

A spokeswoman for Cold Spring's Wenner Funeral Home said arrangements are pending. Services have not yet been scheduled.

A moment of silence was observed at halftime of Friday night's homecoming football game at Rocori against the neighboring town of Sartell. Rocori won 21 to 6.