Winona, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Winona man was sentenced today for a shooting near the Winona State University campus last fall that left a man in critical condition.

According to court records, Winona police responded to an apartment building adjacent to the campus in the early morning hours of October 17, 2024. The response was to a report of a man with a gun, followed by another report that someone had been shot on the third floor of the building.

The Victim Was Airlifted to a La Crosse Hospital For Emergency Surgery

When they arrived at the scene, responding officers found 27-year-old Cole Cameron leaning over a man on the floor who was suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. The criminal complaint filed against Cameron indicates that he told officers, without being asked, "I shot him."

The court document says a witness told police he heard two men arguing in the hallway and saw Cameron go to his apartment before emerging will a from it with a handgun. The witness also stated that he heard Cameron yell at the victim to get away from him before threatening to "pump him full of lead."

The same witness recorded the altercation on his cell phone. The criminal complaint says Cameron can be heard on the recording yelling, "Do you want me to pull the trigger?" That was followed by the voice of another man, believed to be the victim, yelling, "Pull it," just before a gunshot rang out.

The criminal complaint says the violent confrontation was also partially recorded by a Ring surveillance camera. The court document says the shooting victim sounded extremely intoxicated on the recording, and a preliminary breath test performed on Cameron after the shooting measured his blood alcohol concentration at .20.

Winona police reported that the victim was airlifted to a hospital in La Crosse for emergency surgery following the shooting.

ALSO SEE: 2 Men Charged With Drive-By Shooting in Small Winona County Town

Cameron was charged with first-degree assault and intentional discharge of a firearm. Under a plea agreement finalized in April, he admitted to a second-degree assault charge.

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He was sentenced today to three years in prison, with credit for 232 days already spent in jail. The sentencing order indicates the court left open the question of whether Cameron should be required to pay restitution.

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