Stewartville Man Charged in Halloween Party Shootout at Rochester Apartment Pleads Guilty

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- A tentative plea agreement has been reached in a Rochester shooting case. 

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Rochester police responded to the shooting, which broke out during a Halloween party in October of 2023. 

A woman was hit by a bullet in the eye during the exchange of gunfire. Her injuries were described at the time by police as non-life-threatening. 

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Two men accused of shooting at each other were both arrested and charged shortly after the shooting. One of the suspects has now entered a guilty plea. 

Stewartville Man Enters Guilty Plea for Shootout at Rochester Halloween Party

Court documents identified the alleged shooters as 23-year-old Daniel Ray Young Jr. of Stewartville and 20-year-old Aaron Armond Caradine of Rochester. 

Caradine was accused of wounding the woman after he shot at a vehicle occupied by Young and the gunshot victim during a Halloween party near the RCTC campus on the night of October 27. 

Young fired back at Caradine but did not hit anything. Police said at the time that a gunshot was also fired in a hallway outside of an apartment where the party was taking place. 

Two apartment buildings in the area were also hit by gunfire. One round entered an empty bedroom, police said. 

Caradine was convicted of ineligible person in possession of a firearm last October and sentenced to 60 months in prison. 

Young Jr. was charged with one count of drive-by shooting towards a person. Court records indicate Young Jr. plans to enter a guilty plea to an amended reckless discharge of a firearm charge. 

A hearing to formalize the plea agreement is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. The agreement calls for a stayed prison sentence of up to two years.