Topline: A criminal complaint says the suspect claimed his daughter was trapped in the basement, a belief officers later determined to be unfounded.
Published: November 26, 2025 8:00 am ET
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Austin Gerads (via Stearns County Sheriff's Office)
ST. CLOUD, MN — Police in Minnesota say a predawn confrontation inside a shared home spiraled into violence early Sunday, leaving two men injured and a 31-year-old facing attempted murder charges.
According to KSTP, officers were dispatched to the 800 block of 8th Avenue South around 4:20 a.m., where they found a 44-year-old man with gunshot wounds and a 55-year-old man who had been struck with an object after trying to help the first victim.
Details outlined in the criminal complaint, reported by KNSI, describe a volatile scene that erupted moments after the 44-year-old woke to gunfire. He told investigators that his roommate, Austin Gerads, shot him in the shoulder and accused him of killing his daughter. As the man told police, Gerads then “pointed the gun at his head and shot him in the face,” the bullet grazing his cheek, before pistol-whipping him. The victim said he managed to knock the gun away in a struggle and toss it out of Gerads’s reach.
According to KNSI’s reporting, the 55-year-old housemate said he came to the room after hearing the shots and was hit over the head when he asked what happened.
KSTP reports that officers later confronted Gerads nearby, initiating a brief foot chase before taking him into custody. KNSI adds that he fled out a back door, ignored commands to stop, and was ultimately tased. Investigators say they recovered a gun, ammunition, shell casings, a bloodied bedframe pole, a fragment of a bullet that had passed through two walls, and a bag of suspected methamphetamine.
In a Mirandized statement to police, Gerads said what he did was “worth it,” according to both KNSI and the St. Cloud Times. He also claimed his daughter was trapped beneath a trap door in the basement, a claim officers later determined was unfounded; police confirmed no family members were harmed and no one was being held captive.
The St. Cloud Times reports that all three individuals involved lived at the residence where the shooting occurred. Stearns County prosecutors have charged Gerads with attempted second-degree murder, second-degree assault, and fleeing police.
On Nov. 25, a judge set his bail at $2 million, or $1 million with conditions such as avoiding alcohol and having no contact with the victims, according to the Times.
Authorities say the investigation is ongoing, and an omnibus hearing is scheduled for Dec. 23.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Man Accused of Shooting, Assaulting Roommates Reportedly Said It Was “Worth It”
A criminal complaint says the suspect claimed his daughter was trapped in the basement, a belief officers later determined to be unfounded.
By Jacob Charles
Published: November 26, 2025 8:00 am ET
Austin Gerads (via Stearns County Sheriff's Office)
ST. CLOUD, MN — Police in Minnesota say a predawn confrontation inside a shared home spiraled into violence early Sunday, leaving two men injured and a 31-year-old facing attempted murder charges.
According to KSTP, officers were dispatched to the 800 block of 8th Avenue South around 4:20 a.m., where they found a 44-year-old man with gunshot wounds and a 55-year-old man who had been struck with an object after trying to help the first victim.
Details outlined in the criminal complaint, reported by KNSI, describe a volatile scene that erupted moments after the 44-year-old woke to gunfire. He told investigators that his roommate, Austin Gerads, shot him in the shoulder and accused him of killing his daughter. As the man told police, Gerads then “pointed the gun at his head and shot him in the face,” the bullet grazing his cheek, before pistol-whipping him. The victim said he managed to knock the gun away in a struggle and toss it out of Gerads’s reach.
According to KNSI’s reporting, the 55-year-old housemate said he came to the room after hearing the shots and was hit over the head when he asked what happened.
KSTP reports that officers later confronted Gerads nearby, initiating a brief foot chase before taking him into custody. KNSI adds that he fled out a back door, ignored commands to stop, and was ultimately tased. Investigators say they recovered a gun, ammunition, shell casings, a bloodied bedframe pole, a fragment of a bullet that had passed through two walls, and a bag of suspected methamphetamine.
In a Mirandized statement to police, Gerads said what he did was “worth it,” according to both KNSI and the St. Cloud Times. He also claimed his daughter was trapped beneath a trap door in the basement, a claim officers later determined was unfounded; police confirmed no family members were harmed and no one was being held captive.
The St. Cloud Times reports that all three individuals involved lived at the residence where the shooting occurred. Stearns County prosecutors have charged Gerads with attempted second-degree murder, second-degree assault, and fleeing police.
On Nov. 25, a judge set his bail at $2 million, or $1 million with conditions such as avoiding alcohol and having no contact with the victims, according to the Times.
Authorities say the investigation is ongoing, and an omnibus hearing is scheduled for Dec. 23.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Man Accused of Shooting, Assaulting Roommates Reportedly Said It Was “Worth It”
A criminal complaint says the suspect claimed his daughter was trapped in the basement, a belief officers later determined to be unfounded.
By Jacob Charles
Published: November 26, 2025 8:00 am ET
Austin Gerads (via Stearns County Sheriff's Office)
ST. CLOUD, MN — Police in Minnesota say a predawn confrontation inside a shared home spiraled into violence early Sunday, leaving two men injured and a 31-year-old facing attempted murder charges.
According to KSTP, officers were dispatched to the 800 block of 8th Avenue South around 4:20 a.m., where they found a 44-year-old man with gunshot wounds and a 55-year-old man who had been struck with an object after trying to help the first victim.
Details outlined in the criminal complaint, reported by KNSI, describe a volatile scene that erupted moments after the 44-year-old woke to gunfire. He told investigators that his roommate, Austin Gerads, shot him in the shoulder and accused him of killing his daughter. As the man told police, Gerads then “pointed the gun at his head and shot him in the face,” the bullet grazing his cheek, before pistol-whipping him. The victim said he managed to knock the gun away in a struggle and toss it out of Gerads’s reach.
According to KNSI’s reporting, the 55-year-old housemate said he came to the room after hearing the shots and was hit over the head when he asked what happened.
KSTP reports that officers later confronted Gerads nearby, initiating a brief foot chase before taking him into custody. KNSI adds that he fled out a back door, ignored commands to stop, and was ultimately tased. Investigators say they recovered a gun, ammunition, shell casings, a bloodied bedframe pole, a fragment of a bullet that had passed through two walls, and a bag of suspected methamphetamine.
In a Mirandized statement to police, Gerads said what he did was “worth it,” according to both KNSI and the St. Cloud Times. He also claimed his daughter was trapped beneath a trap door in the basement, a claim officers later determined was unfounded; police confirmed no family members were harmed and no one was being held captive.
The St. Cloud Times reports that all three individuals involved lived at the residence where the shooting occurred. Stearns County prosecutors have charged Gerads with attempted second-degree murder, second-degree assault, and fleeing police.
On Nov. 25, a judge set his bail at $2 million, or $1 million with conditions such as avoiding alcohol and having no contact with the victims, according to the Times.
Authorities say the investigation is ongoing, and an omnibus hearing is scheduled for Dec. 23.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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