Man charged with murder of brother after Sunday shooting in Grant County

A man accused of fatally shooting his brother in Elbow Lake is officially facing murder charges.

Connor Bruce Grytdahl, 30, is charged with second-degree murder for the shooting death of his brother, 33-year-old Stephen Grytdahl.

The criminal complaint states that Grant County deputies first responded to the Elbow Lake home on the 300 block of 10th Avenue Southeast around 9:30 p.m. on Sunday after Connor reported his brother Stephen was drinking. This was reportedly a violation of a probation condition from a previous DWI conviction.

Arriving deputies then tried to reach Stephen’s probation officer after they determined he had been drinking, but weren’t able to make contact. They then told Stephen to stop drinking and both brothers agreed to separate for the night, according to the complaint.

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Less than two hours later, around 11:20 p.m., Connor called 911 again to report that he had shot his brother in the chest. The complaint states that Connor reported his brother was “coming at him aggressively” and that he was putting pressure on the wound and giving his brother CPR to try and save him.

Arriving deputies then found Stephen lying on the floor with blood all around him with Connor kneeling nearby.

Court documents state that Stephen’s feet were facing south into the hallway with his head facing north, with his right side resting against the west hallway wall.

Connor then told the deputy the gun, a 9mm Sig Sauer pistol, was in his waistband.

The deputy then took the gun and began CPR on Stephen, which is when he saw a gunshot in the middle of his chest.

Connor then reportedly said to the deputy “He’s beyond CPR sir,” and paramedics pronounced Stephen dead at about 11:41 p.m.

Investigators then found a silver shell casing on the carpet between the couch and the TV in the living room of the home.

Connor spoke to investigators during two Mirandized interviews, during which he said he took the pistol from his bedroom, loaded it and put it in his waistband after deputies left from the earlier 911 call. He then sat on the couch while Stephen was in his bedroom.

Connor said that after some time had passed, Stephen came out of his room and the two started arguing, which escalated to “pushing and shoving.”

Connor continued to say he was retreating to his bedroom at the opposite end of the hallway from where deputies found Stephen’s body.

When questioned further, Connor admitted that he shot his brother in the heart and that he knew this would kill him. Connor also estimated he was between eight to 12 feet away from Stephen when he fired.

Investigators say they did not find any signs of a struggle in the home, and that the location of the shell casing didn’t match Connor’s version of events, in which he said the shot was fired in the hallway.

Connor’s next court appearance is set for March 4, and he faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison if convicted.