Superintendent: District 'Shocked' by Weekend Tragedy

St. Michael-Albertville Superintendent Dr. Jim Behle said staff members, teachers and parents of students at St. Michael-Albertville Middle School West are "shocked" and were "deeply saddened" by the murder of Timothy Larson, a special education teacher at that school, over the weekend.

"It's just an incredibly emotional time," Behle said. "Staff members there are working through their own emotions, and they're trying to meet the emotional needs of our students there. It's a tough day."

Larson, who was 43, leaves behind a wife and two children, Behle confirmed.

Details are still forthcoming, but Larson was allegedly after an altercation. Huber, who was accompanied by his son, Timothy, called 911 after 7 p.m. Saturday. Officials said Larson had been "dead for hours" of an apparent gunshot wound.

Both Huber and his son will be charged in Kandiyohi County, where the incident occurred.

Behle said he didn't know Larson's connection to that area, but said Larson was a sportsman, and liked hunting.

"We're just not sure why he was out there yet," he said.

Back in, officials learned of the tragedy from the Kandiyohi County Sheriff's Department on Sunday.

Sunday night, Behle, Middle School West Principal Andrew Merfeld and a member of the school's counseling staff met to discuss breaking the news to staff and parents. A counselor contacted Larson's students directly.

"I thought they deserved more than just a 'robo-call' or e-mail," Behle said.

Families of students that were under Larson's instruction–Behle estimated there were 11 to 14–were also contacted with a personal call.

"We had a family of one student here this morning, she was just very sad and wanted to share her sympathies," Behle said.

The school held a staff-wide meeting at 7:30 a.m. this morning. Students were read a message during their pre-first period gathering (Knights of the Round Table, or KORT).

"It's tough. Tim worked in a supervisory role, so everyone in the building knew him on some level," Behle said.

Extra counselors were brought in for both staff and students, and the building has set up "comfort rooms" for both groups to share their thoughts with staff, Behle added.

It's the second time this year a building has been hit by tragedy. Dustin Harrington, 16, died last month. He was a student at St. Michael-Albertville High School.

Behle said he's experienced the loss of a staff member during a school year in his years as an administrator. This is his first year as the head of St. Michael-Albertville schools, but Behle was in a leadership role for several years in Iowa.

"I've been through other incidents. We had an entire family lost in a car accident. All of them are very different," he said. "All are just very tragic."