Hunters shot at by man using AR-style rifle despite pleas to stop: Charges

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Published October 28, 2026 4:28 PM CDT

The Brief

    • Cole Lee Vanderlinden faces one count of intentional discharge of a dangerous weapon and fifth-degree drug possession after an incident that occurred on Oct. 25, 2026.
    • According to charges, Vanderlinden shot roughly 20 rounds at three hunters, despite being alerted to their presence and asked to stop.
    • Upon a search of his residence, deputies found weapons, ammunition and alleged meth.

CLAY CO., Minn. (FOX 9) - A 43-year-old man from Glyndon faces several charges after authorities say he used an AR-style rifle to shoot at three hunters, and continued to fire despite making eye contact and being asked to stop.

Hunters shot at in Clay County

What we know:

Cole Lee Vanderlinden faces one count of intentional discharge of a dangerous weapon and fifth-degree drug possession after an incident that occurred on Oct. 25, 2026.

Dig deeper:

According to the Clay County Sheriff's Office, around 10:25 a.m., deputies were dispatched to a report of gunshots on the 300 block of 170th Street North in Clay County after receiving multiple 911 calls regarding three hunters saying someone was shooting at them.

Responding deputies learned that hunters had been walking in a cattail area when one of them heard a bullet go over their head, then two more. After the first shot, one of the hunters allegedly fired a shot into the air to alert the shooter that they were there, and also began yelling back towards a house to alert the shooter to stop shooting at them.

Charges state that one of the callers confronted the shooter, later identified as Vanderlinden, and told him stop shooting, but he "looked right at him and kept firing shots" using an AR-style rifle, an estimated 20 rounds total toward their direction. He then reportedly told them to "get over it" while calling them "pus****."

All three hunters were wearing blaze orange hunting vests and hats.

The callers claimed that Vanderlinden kept shooting until authorities arrived.

Timeline:

When spotted by deputies, Vanderlinden reportedly dropped his weapon and began to argue about what had happened, and when deputies went to detain him he began to "tense up" before being placed in a squad car.

A search warrant was obtained for his property and vehicle, during which they found a Bear Creek Armory 6.5 Grenel AR Style rifle, a Savage 20ga Bolt Action Shotgun, magazines and ammunition for both firearms.

Deputies also found two baggies containing suspected methamphetamine, with one baggies weighing .6 grams and another weighing .4 grams, according to charges.

The Source: Information provided by charges filed in Clay County.

Crime and Public SafetyMinnesota