Minnesota teen charged with fatally shooting arts teacher

MAHTOMEDI, Minn. (AP) - A teenager accused of killing a popular high school arts teacher told investigators he fired his rifle at the victim's truck at an intersection, but didn't know if he had hit the driver, according to a criminal complaint filed Monday.

Bailey Jordan Garcia, 19, of Pine Springs, was charged with second-degree murder in the death of 46-year-old David Frigaard. The complaint said Frigaard was shot in the chest after pulling up to a stop sign in his truck about 3:30 a.m. Saturday in Mahtomedi, in Washington County.

Frigaard worked at Park High School in Cottage Grove and also owned Frigaard's bar in Willernie. Preliminary autopsy reports indicated his lungs and aorta were perforated by the gunshot.

Garcia initially told investigators he was parked near the intersection and was shooting "a few deer" in the area, then later said he aimed his rifle at the truck and fired, the complaint said. Garcia said he got scared because he didn't know if he had hit the driver, so he fled the area, according to sheriff's investigators.

He was arrested after crashing his SUV. Sheriff's deputies said the license plates were covered by white paper towels and a rifle with an attached scope and ammunition were found in the front passenger seat. More ammunition and a near-empty bottle of rum were found in the vehicle later, according to the complaint.

Garcia said he had gotten into an argument with his father and brother and wanted to kill himself, investigators said. He retrieved a rifle and box of ammunition from his bedroom closet, went to the Mahtomedi Fire Department where he had recently gotten a job, and got a cutting tool to remove the trigger lock attached to his rifle.

Defense attorney Ryan Pacyga said Monday he has concerns about Garcia's mental state.

"We need to determine whether or not he was in an emotional state that would warrant raising an insanity defense," Pacyga said. "My primary concern is finding out where he is cognitively so we know whether he's able to participate in his defense."

Garcia's bail was set at $2 million, according to the Washington County Attorney's Office.

Customers and others left flowers, candles and hand-written messages in Frigaard's memory outside the bar.