ALBERT LEA, Minn. – Next door to a standoff between police and an active shooter, Rona Gstalders said she was petrified. To a reporter for television station WCCO she pointed to where a stray bullet made its way through her garage and into her living room wall. The bullet, she said, felt like an explosion. “I knew something had been hit, but I didn’t dare come out with an active shooter still out,” Gstalders said. There was a shelter-in-place order in effect in the gentrifying neighborhood during the nine-hour confrontation at nearby Shady Oaks apartments. Apartment residents were evacuated, but neighbors were advised to stay inside. Nate Harris.  “I just kind of stayed put and let it unfold,” Harris told a reporter. Griselda Rentera said she took shelter with her two sons and dog. She said crime in the area is getting worse: “I’ve been living here for three years, and I’ve seen way more things that are going around.”

Earlier: Governor: Sympathy to Albert Lea, thanks

Shady Oaks. Posing on a sunnier day for a promotional photo to attract tenants. Image: Albert Lea Housing and Redevelopment Authority