The quiet of a Sunday morning in Moorhead, Minnesota, was shattered by a single gunshot that left a man dead and a community grappling with grief and uncertainty. Just after 9:30 a.m. on April 13, 2025, police officers rushed to the 2700 block of 14th Street South, a residential area near the Probstfield Center for Education, following reports of gunfire. There, they found a man lying on the ground, his life slipping away from a gunshot wound. Despite desperate efforts to save him, he was pronounced dead at the scene, leaving behind a void that would ripple through the lives of those who knew him. His identity has not been released, as authorities work to notify his family, but the weight of his loss hangs heavy over the city.
The Moorhead Police Department moved swiftly to piece together the events that led to this tragedy. Witnesses reported seeing a suspect flee the scene in a light green, mid-size Chevrolet SUV, a detail that offered a fleeting clue in a case that has left investigators racing against time. By Monday, April 14, authorities identified the suspect as 35-year-old Jerome Anthony Thomas III, a name now at the center of a manhunt that has gripped the region. Police have warned that Thomas is considered armed and dangerous, urging residents not to approach him but to report any information about his whereabouts to local law enforcement immediately. The absence of a detailed description of Thomas or his vehicle has only heightened the urgency, as the community remains on edge, wondering where he might be and what drove him to this act.
Investigators have been careful to note that the shooting does not appear to be a random act, suggesting a possible connection between the victim and the suspect. This detail, while offering some reassurance that the broader public may not be at immediate risk, does little to ease the pain of those affected. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has joined the Moorhead Police Department in processing the crime scene, a meticulous task that has kept a four-block radius around the site cordoned off as evidence is gathered. The involvement of multiple agencies, including the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, Dilworth Police Department, Moorhead Fire Department, and Sanford Ambulance, underscores the gravity of the situation and the coordinated effort to seek justice.
As the investigation unfolds, the city of Moorhead finds itself at a crossroads. The shooting, which occurred in broad daylight in a neighborhood where families live and children play, has shaken the sense of safety that residents hold dear. Community members have been asked to avoid the area and to come forward with any information that might help locate Thomas, with authorities providing a contact number for the Red River Regional Dispatch Center. The Moorhead Police Department has also indicated that it will seek charges of homicide and attempted homicide against Thomas through the Clay County Attorney’s Office, signaling their determination to hold the suspect accountable.
For now, the people of Moorhead wait, mourning a life lost and hoping for answers. The image of a light green SUV lingers in their minds, a symbol of a suspect still at large and a reminder of the fragility of peace. As police continue their search, the community holds its breath, united in sorrow and resolve to see justice served.