West Fargo residents are sad and frustrated after no arrests following church shooting

WEST FARGO, ND (Valley News Live) – West Fargo residents are speaking out and expressing concern after a man was shot and killed in a church parking lot over the weekend. The shooter, a teacher in the West Fargo Public School District, has not been arrested or charged with a crime, which residents say is “not right.”

Greg Akason, a retired Army veteran and longtime West Fargo resident, said he was shocked when he first learned about the Prairie Heights shooting.

“When I heard that the victim had no gun, no knife, no pistol or anything else, I was pretty outraged,” he says.

Outraged that something like this should never have happened. “You could have easily called 911 from anywhere in that huge parking lot. There should never have been a shot fired. I'm all for carrying a concealed weapon, but this just shouldn't have happened,” Akason explains.

The shooter, identified by police as Don Barron II, is a teacher at West Fargo Public Schools and has not been placed on leave.

“I just think that no fees… is not good. It's not being handled properly. Everyone is suffering right now,” Greg tells us.

At this point, Akason says he is concerned about the message this might convey.

He asks: “What does this show to the public? What do the children think? What do the people walking around think?”

Valley News Live recently spoke with the Cass County District Attorney's Office, who said they are considering establishing probable cause. “In a case like this, when we have to go through details of self-defense and defense of others, we really have to look critically at everything we have here, and that process is ongoing,” says Ryan Younggren.

This process could take weeks before it can be determined whether the shooter acted in self-defense or not, he says.

Whether charged or not, Akason says this is a good opportunity to thank both our first responders and the members of Prairie Heights Church.

“Please don't let them down. This church is great. The church, the police, the fire department and our community need your support now,” he says.

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