By Jason Stuart
Ranger-Review Staff Writer
A Dawson Community College student-athlete is facing manslaughter charges following a shooting death early Saturday morning in Dickinson, N.D.
Boyd Stroh, 20, a Dickinson native and freshman saddle bronc rider for the DCC rodeo team, was arrested and charged with felony manslaughter following the shooting death of Tanner Carrico, 21, also of Dickinson.
According to the Dickinson Police Department, Stroh, Carrico and other acquaintances were “socializing” that night when Carrico allegedly “was negligently shot by Stroh” in the abdomen at about 1:30 a.m. Saturday morning. Carrico was taken to the hospital by a friend, where he died a short time later.
Police obtained a search warrant for the residence, recovering a revolver they believe was used in the shooting. Stroh was arrested later that morning. He made his initial court appearance Monday afternoon, with the presiding judge setting his bail at $15,000. Stroh had already been bonded out of prison by Tuesday. The incident remains under investigation.
DCC Vice President of Student Affairs John Bole said on Tuesday that college officials have not, as yet, received any other details about the incident or had any contact with Stroh or Dickinson police.
Bole called the incident “a tragedy,” noting that occurrences like this are “just tough on 18- 19- 20-year-olds” and that college officials therefore have their work cut out for them in addressing the situation with their small, tight-knit student body.
Bole said he has been involved in similar situations before at other institutions. He said he and other DCC administrators and faculty will address the issue with students “carefully, but directly,” adding that the best way for them to approach the subject with students is to listen carefully to what they have to say about their feelings on it.
“The biggest thing is we need to be good listeners,” Bole said. “It’s not so much about having the answers as it is having a pretty powerful degree of empathy – to be a really good, encouraging listener.”
Bole added he is confident in the ability of DCC’s faculty and staff to help the school’s students deal with any emotional fallout the incident may be causing.
“I’m glad we’re here to encourage and to help the kids,” he said. “I’m glad we have the kind of environment here to really take care of our students’ needs.”
Reach Jason Stuart at rrreporter@rangerreview.com.