Police in Washington County, Minnesota are investigating the circumstances of what resulted in the gun death of a beloved local high school teacher and mentor to LGBT teens.
On Saturday, January 24th at around 3 a.m., 46-year-old David Frigaard was shot near a bar that he owned. A 19-year-old suspect was arrested and booked on pending homicide charges.
While details remain sparse, unconfirmed social media chatter amongst the community suggests that the motive may have had something to do with Frigaard’s involvement in Park High School’s Gay Straight Alliance.
Frigaard, who was married with three children of his own, had been teaching art at the high school for four years, and in addition to running the GSA, served as at-risk program teacher, and was a football, girls track and basketball coach.
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Reaction in the small town has been shock and disbelief, as many who witnessed Frigaard’s humanitarian spirit firsthand struggle to make sense of the loss.
“Dave was a great guy who went above and beyond to help others and he made a lot of strangers friends for life through his establishment,” said one Facebook comment. “One of the most unselfish people that I’ve ever met, shirt-off-his-back type of guy.”
Park student Amber Fabeck said: “I’ve thought of everything and this still doesn’t make sense. He was too good of a person for this ending.”
h/t GayStarNews
Tackle
Ok,ok… I’m still trying to wrap my brain around, ” shot near a bat that he owned. ” WTF ??
And was he a gay married father of three, or a straight married father of three?
Paul Nadolski
Remember, Washington County, MN is the home county of Michelle Bachmann (she’s from Stillwater). I’m not aware of any gay bars outside of Minneapolis or St. Paul, certainly not in suburban Washington County.
While the Twin Cities themselves (Minneapolis and St. Paul) themselves are fairly welcoming, the suburban areas of the Cities tend to be very homophobic and conservative. Very very sad news and my condolences to those involved.
SteveDenver
F*CKING GUNS. Sounds like a great guy, I wonder how the shooter’s lawyers will try to smear him as a defense?
ronwol
@Tackle: Tackle,
I would suggest you do one of the following – a. Put on your glasses before you read these article’s, or b. Don’t read any article’s until you are fully awake, or c. go to an eye doctor and have your eyes examined, you need glasses. It states very clearly “Shot near a bar that he owned.”
What difference does it make whether he is straight or gay, he is a man married with three children. Those are the only facts that are relevant to this article. It is not important if he is straight or gay!
mikeyinSF15
Oh dear God . . . THIS HAS GOT TO STOP!! Whether you’re openly gay or still in the closet OR if you’re a straight person who feels that gay people should have the same rights as straights . . . and you’re killed for THAT??? Is it not possible that we could all live together . . . as a unified society, accepting each other as God created us? Whether you agree or disagree . . . WE WERE BORN THIS WAY!! May God have mercy on the soul of the one that murdered David and may David finally find peace.
Tackle
@ronwol: That is not what was written at first. Queerty changed it. Originally it read ” bat” not ” bar.” Two other posters seen the same word, ( bat) and mentioned it, and
oddly, there post were deleted. Obviously bar makes a lot more sense. And look at the time I posted, and the time you posted. Gave them plenty of time to change an embarrassing mistake.
As far as him being gay or straight, it doesn’t make a difference. But why is it such a concern to you that I enquired?
Cam
“While details remain sparse, unconfirmed social media chatter amongst the community suggests that the motive may have had something to do with Frigaard’s involvement in Park High School’s Gay Straight Alliance.”
______________________
Meaning what? He was shot by somebody who hated gays? He was shot by one of the teens he was mentoring? He was shot by a parent who was upset their teen was in the group? What?
Cam
The Daily Mail said the suspect in custody was refused service at the bar for being underaged. waited outside and then shot him. Not sure what that has to do with him being involved with the school’s GSA as the article above mentioned.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2926513/Minnesota-teacher-shot-dead-outside-bar-refusing-serve-underage-man-waited-orders.html
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
You just know there is a whole lot more to this story to be revealed……….
Stache99
@Cam: Queerty needed a reason to make this a worth article to read. The GSA was probably beside the point.
At this point the only thing I see is that the teen was loco and the teacher was just the unfortunate victim of said nut.
tdx3fan
@PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS: That was my first thought. Lets just not make the assumption that someone is absolutely a stand up citizen because they have three kids, teach school, coach sports and own a bar. I’m not saying he is not a stand up citizen, but he certainly has a lot of unfettered access to children.
Blackceo
@PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS:
Yeah I don’t want to assume anything but killing someone because they refused to serve you alcohol just seems like overkill. I know senseless crime happens all the time but its not at all wrong to think there is something more to this. Will be interesting to see if there is some past connection between the victim and his killer.
jwtraveler
Clearly there are a lot of details that remain to be discovered and revealed.@Tackle: I also wondered whether he was married to a man or a woman. Gay publications have to catch up with the new marriage laws and start specifying this.@ronwol: “What difference does it make whether he is straight or gay, he is a man married with three children. ”
What difference does it make that he was married with 3 children? I would maintain that his being gay or straight is more relevant to this article than the fact that he’s married with 3 children.
What is most important: A good man, loved by his family and respected by the community he was dedicated to helping, was murdered senselessly. That is a tragedy.
Sebizzar
*sigh* When will this stop?
R.I.P. David
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
@tdx3fan:
@Blackceo:
You both are spot on. I hate to think that if they open this guy’s closet a whole bunch ‘o small skeletons that were piled up real high are going to come tumbling down. The rightwing hatefilled bigoted nutbags would have a freaking orgasm if it turned out anything nefarious was ocurring between the victim and the shooter..Am hoping what is inevitably going to be revealed shows the shooter was disturbed and the victim gave no cause for the act he committed……..
SFHandyman
Really tragic. He sounds like an awesome man.
Instead of saying “was married” say “had a Wife” (or Husband).
icey
Don’t sweat the small stuff people! Focus on what’s important! A Good Samaritan from the local area has been shot dead – murdered – possibly by a teen. Bat or bar gay or straight!!!!! Neither of those make a difference. A super role model has been taken from a small community and 3 children have lost their father. My thoughts are with his family and those he has given a warm welcoming smile to. RIP and May God be with you
Random
How many more people have to be killed in cold blood before America decides to outlaw guns?
jwtraveler
@Random: About 300 million.
Hermes
@Tackle: Educators are also allowed to own businesses. My understanding is that he was a straight married man with three children — BUT that is only from friends in MN so it is not something I can absolutely guarantee — in my part of the country however, nearly everyone I know who is involved as an adult in GLSEN is a straight person who has seen first hand what happens to gay kids, so that should not be a shock.
Hermes
Hermes
@PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS: Er, the victim was 19 – and had just been refused service at the bar for being underaged… … …
Tackle
@Hermes: Thanks for that bit of info.
And @ronwol: asked what difference does it make if the victim was gay or straight. A big difference. Not that one or the other is more important as a person. But in many places, crimes motivated by sexual orientation can carry additional penalties. And if there were some weird sicko, going around praying on gay people, the LBGQT communities have a right, and should know…
Clark35
So wait, was this guy a bartender, or a teacher? The guy that shot him was angry about not getting served, and probably had no idea the guy is gay.
jwtraveler
@Hermes: No, the SUSPECT was 19… The VICTIM was 46.
Aires the Ram
@Random: You asked: “How many more people have to be killed in cold blood before America decides to outlaw guns?”
When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns. When/if society collapses into chaos and anarchy, those who got rid of their guns will serve those who did not.
A gun did not ’cause’ this tragedy, a 19 year old CRIMINAL did. Too bad Minnesota abolished the Death Penalty.