In the early hours of August 10, 2024, a violent encounter in Frazee, Minnesota, ended the life of 31-year-old Arlan Ray "AJ" Bergstrom, a White male from Detroit Lakes. The incident unfolded at the Acorn Lake Trailer Park where Bergstrom was fatally shot. First responders were called to the scene at approximately 1:20 a.m. and attempted lifesaving measures, but Bergstrom was pronounced dead from a gunshot wound.
Within about an hour of the shooting, a suspect, identified as 31-year-old Willis Charles McDonald of rural Frazee, contacted authorities. McDonald reported his involvement in the altercation and claimed he had acted in self-defense. He was arrested without incident at a residence in Otter Tail County and was subsequently booked into the Becker County jail. McDonald has since been charged with 2nd Degree Murder Without Intent and 1st Degree Manslaughter.
According to court documents, McDonald told investigators that he had met a woman earlier that evening at the Becker County Fair. She later invited him to her home at the trailer park. While they were sitting in his car, McDonald alleged that Bergstrom, whom he did not know, approached the vehicle and began to attack him through the window. McDonald stated that he feared for his life, retrieved a handgun from the back of his vehicle, and fired at Bergstrom as the assault continued. The woman who was present reportedly corroborated that McDonald and Bergstrom were strangers. The medical examiner has ruled Bergstrom's death a homicide, and the investigation into the fatal shooting remains ongoing.
