ALEXANDRIA, Minn. – Two people involved in a shootout with a Douglas County sheriff’s deputy before they were found dead near Alexandria on Monday were from Fargo.
Katie Ray Christopherson, 29, and Devin Blowers, 24, both died of gunshot wounds Monday, according to a statement from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
The Ramsey County medical examiner has ruled Blowers’ death a suicide by gunshot and Christopherson’s death a homicide.
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BCA investigators believe Blowers shot Christopherson, then himself.
Their relationship is unclear, but Blowers and Christopherson announced the birth of a daughter in The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead on Jan. 13.
According to Blowers’ Facebook page, he and Christopherson became engaged in December.
Christopherson is a 2003 graduate of Fargo North High School. Blowers is a Minot native who was living in Fargo.
According to the preliminary investigation, BCA officials said Douglas County Sheriff’s Deputy Dustin Alexander responded about 9:51 p.m. Monday to a report of a suspicious vehicle at 3140 50th St. in Hudson Township.
Alexander approached the two in the vehicle and got identification from Christopherson and Blowers before briefly returning to his squad car.
Alexander returned to the car just minutes later, when Blowers shot him in the chest, striking him in a bullet-resistant vest.
Alexander returned fire, but the two suspects drove away. Their car got stuck in the snow about 50 to 60 yards from the scene and the two ran.
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About four hours later, officers found the bodies of Christopherson and Blowers near an outbuilding on the rural property. A handgun and a shotgun were located near them, the BCA said.
The BCA has not released a possible motive for the deaths or the deputy shooting.
On Sunday, posts by friends of Christopherson on her Facebook page beg her to contact them. On Wednesday, friends posted sentiments of shock and disbelief about the incident.
Minnesota and North Dakota court records showed no violent crime convictions for Blowers or Christopherson.
On Monday, an incident report relating to drug possession was filed in Cass County District Court and a felony warrant was issued for Christopherson’s arrest.
Blowers pleaded guilty last week in Cass County District Court to a Class A misdemeanor charge of ingesting a controlled substance.
He was ordered Feb. 20 to serve one year of unsupervised probation and undergo a chemical dependency evaluation.
The Thompson-Larson Funeral home published a death notice for Blowers on Wednesday. By evening, a Facebook page remembering him as a loving father had been created.
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The deputy was treated at Douglas County Hospital and released.
Alexander has served Douglas County for three years and is a member of the Douglas County SWAT team. He was placed on standard administrative leave.
The BCA is investigating the incident with assistance from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, the Alexandria Police Department, the Minnesota State Patrol, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and several other local law enforcement agencies.
When the investigation is complete, the BCA will present its findings to the Douglas County Attorney’s Office for review, the BCA said.
