Daughter: St. Cloud man fatally shot Sunday was longtime SCSU professor

ST. CLOUD – The 68-year-old man shot to death in his doorway Sunday was St. Cloud State University professor Ed Ward, his daughter said Monday.

Amy Jones, who lives in Duluth, told the Star Tribune her father was a professor in the department of management and entrepreneurship at St. Cloud State University, where he had taught for more than three decades.

"He was very kind and compassionate and he had a wonderful sense of humor," Jones said. "And he always tried to see the best in everybody."

St. Cloud police say a 45-year-old Duluth man shot the St. Cloud man multiple times while he was standing inside the doorway of his home. Ward was taken to a hospital, where he died.

Officers responded to the 6:16 a.m. shooting in the 2600 block of Island View Drive and observed shots appeared to come from outside the residence.

Police used a dog to attempt to track the suspect, but shortly after 7 a.m., a witness called 911 to report a man walking around with a handgun.

Officers arrested the suspect and recovered the gun, and the suspect admitted to officers that he shot the victim, police said.

The Duluth man was transported to Stearns County jail, where he awaits charges. The Star Tribune generally does not identify suspects before they are charged.

Police said Sunday they believed it was a "random incident," a news release states.

Jones said her father lived at the house with his wife, Denese, and said she and her brother Mark grew up in the home.

"I've always felt safe there," she said of the house, which is on a dead-end road on the south side of town near the Mississippi River and St. Cloud Country Club.

Jones released a statement on behalf of Ward's family Monday that stated, "We are shocked and saddened by the murder of our beloved Ed. He was a gentle, quiet and intelligent man who served as professor at St. Cloud State University for over 30 years, where he impacted the lives and careers of countless students."

Ward loved reading, bicycling and history, though his greatest love was his family, the statement says.

Ward's homicide is the fourth in St. Cloud this year — the highest since 2015, according to St. Cloud Police Assistant Chief Jeff Oxton.

Jenny Berg • 612-673-7299

Twitter: @bergjenny