Minnesota teen brings guns to school in plot to kill parents and students

A 17 year old Waseca, Minnesota teen brought several guns to his school in a plan to kill his parents and then students in his school.  Luckily, his parents turned him into the school authorities. From an article:

John David LaDue had it all figured out. He would kill his mother, father and sister and then create a diversion to keep first responders busy while he went to Waseca Junior/Senior High School to wreak havoc.

There, the 17-year-old planned to set off pressure-cooker bombs full of nails and metal ball bearings in the cafeteria. Students who weren’t maimed or killed would be gunned down in the halls, he told police.

After his arrest Tuesday, the high school junior said he intended to kill “as many students as he could,” before he was killed by the SWAT team, according to charging documents filed in Waseca County District Court.

LaDue was charged Thursday with four counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree damage to property and six counts of possession of a bomb by someone under 18. Police found seven firearms and at least six completed bombs in his bedroom and in the storage unit where he was arrested.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

5 year old Minnesota boy brings gun to school

A Benson, Minnesota kindergarten student brought a gun to school:

A kindergartner brought a gun to school in Swift County Tuesday morning, and authorities are investigating now to find out how such a thing could have happened.

No one was hurt in the incident at Northside Elementary school and everyone -- from the other students to teachers to law enforcement -- acted quickly to get the gun away from the young child.

Around 8 a.m., students alerted a teacher that the child, who police say is about 5 years old, had brought a weapon into the school building. The teacher quickly confiscated the gun.

Benson Police Chief Ian Hodge said there is no reason to believe that the kindergartner intended to cause any harm, although police are withholding details -- including where the gun came from and whether it was loaded -- while the investigation is ongoing.

"The child has no intent to harm anyone," Hodge said.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

2 month old Minneapolis baby shot by stray bullet

A 2 month old baby was shot by a stray bullet in Minneapolis while his father held him:

A 2-month-old boy, struck by a stray bullet and critically injured Thursday night, is the latest in a string of incidents involving north Minneapolis children caught in crossfire.

Cyndi Barrington, Minneapolis police spokeswoman, said preliminary information indicates the baby was struck about 9 p.m. while being held by his father outside a home in the 2400 block of Emerson Av. N. The father told police he heard a loud bang, looked down and saw his baby had been hit, Barrington said.

The baby was listed in critical condition at Hennepin County Medical Center late Thursday night.

Police were canvassing the neighborhood in search of witnesses, information and the shooter. “A motive is unknown,” Barrington said.

Children being shot “should not be happening,” she said. “From the police perspective, we have cops out here working 24/7 and they won’t stop. But this absolutely unacceptable and the community should be outraged.”

Thursday’s shooting comes on the heels of two separate shootings this summer that wounded two other children. Two weeks ago, a 14-month-old girl, a pregnant 19-year-old woman and a 17-year-old boy were shot when a man approached a group of people as they stood outside a parked car, fired repeatedly and then ran. And in June, a 4-year-old boy was shot along with two adults as they sat in a car.

Babies should be free from gun violence in their neighborhoods.

There is new information about this shooting. It turns out that the baby was shot by a relative inside of the home. From an article:

The circumstances leading to the critical wounding of a 2-month-old boy Thursday night in north Minneapolis are not as initially believed, police said late Friday morning, and they are now calling the shooting accidental.

After reinterviewing the father of the victim, police now say that the shooting occurred inside the duplex in the 2400 block of Emerson Avenue N. and that the baby’s uncle, a juvenile in his late teens, accidentally fired the shot that wounded the baby.

The juvenile fled and has yet to be located, police added. No description of the teen is being released at this time, and officers “are out looking for him now,” police spokeswoman Cyndi Barrington said shortly before noon Friday.

“Investigators believe that this was an accidental shooting, no other suspects are being sought and the public is not a risk,” police said in a statement.

When police arrived shortly after the shooting about 9 p.m., they found a man holding his wounded son. The baby had been shot in the neck.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

Minnesota 9 year old shot by 5 year old brother with .22 rifle

It's happened again. A small child has found a loaded gun laying out in his home and shot his 9 year old sister. The family, in the home at the time, are very lucky this didn't turn out worse. From an article:

Gun advocates are issuing an urgent reminder to parents following the accidental shooting of an Oakdale girl.    

Police said her five year old brother shot her with a rifle Friday night.

Authorities believe the girl will recover but some are using this case to stress the importance of gun safety.

Jeff Byrne is a firearms safety instructor at his sporting goods store, Cabin Fever in Victoria.

He brought out a box of unspent gun shells and said, "We use this little display in our firearm safety class.

What do the shells have in common?

Byrne said, "All these shells, whether it's a shotgun shell, rifle or pistol, all came out of an unloaded firearm."

When he said 'unloaded,' he meant a firearm the owner thought was unloaded but was not.

Byrne said, "What we teach in all our firearm safety classes is you first open up and look inside of [the gun] to make sure there is nothing in there."

At Friday's shooting in a home on the 1800 block of Helena Road North in Oakdale, its unknown if the father knew a gun was loaded.

But Oakdale Police said dad and grandpa and a total of five children were home when the 5-year-old boy picked up a firearm and accidentally shot his 9-year-old sister in the upper chest.

According to Michelle Stark with Oakdale Police, as of Saturday afternoon, the girl remained in stable condition at Gillette Children's Hospital in Saint Paul, expected to recover from the gunshot wound.

Stark said the gun was a .22-caliber rifle and, "It's our understanding that a family member was repairing an item associated with the gun and it was left out."

Byrne said, "Never leave your guns unattended while you step away to grab the phone or do something else.

He said it's important to always store ammunition separate from firearms, and store guns with trigger locks or in a safe.

He said, "That way the kids don't grab them and we don't run into these situations."

Oakdale Police are investigating the shooting and looking into whether charges should be filed.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

Minnesota father of 4 year old who shot brother accidentally found guilty

Minnesota is a state with a Child Access Prevention Law. A father has now been found guilty of leaving a loaded, unsecured gun where his 4 year son found it and then shot his brother:

The grieving father knew he made mistakes that allowed his 4-year-old son to find an unsecured handgun and shoot and kill his younger brother. Still, he maintained that what happened was an accident, not a crime.

It’s why he rejected several plea deals from prosecutors that likely would have kept him out of prison in exchange for admitting to a felony. Xiong took his case to trial, trusting a jury to see things the way he did.

The strategy failed Friday when a jury convicted him of two felony counts of second-degree manslaughter and two gross-misdemeanor counts of child endangerment, leaving Xiong stunned and facing a possible four-year prison sentence. His mother wailed and his brother cursed the judge and jury as deputies led him away. Members of the jury quietly walked out of the courtroom, brushing tears from their eyes.

Xiong was acquitted of a third gross- misdemeanor child endangerment count.

It was a dramatic end to an emotionally wrenching case that began when Neegnco, 2, was shot in the chest on Dec. 5, 2012, by his older brother, who was playing with a loaded handgun in an upstairs bedroom while their parents were downstairs making lunch.

He died at the scene.

“Our position is this has always been an accident, and it has never been about manslaughter,” said his attorney, Steve Meshbesher, adding that a juror told him he was sorry. “What does that tell you? It tells me a mistake was made in the courtroom.” (...) 

The gun was one of eight that police found in Xiong’s south Minneapolis home, where the family’s four children lived.

Meshbesher countered that the gun was safely hidden between the headboard and the mattress in a holster, and although loaded, it was not likely to be found by the 4-year-old.

The conviction calls for four years in prison under state guidelines, although Judge Daniel Moreno will make the final decision when Xiong is sentenced June 27. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said that the case is the fourth in recent years involving a child hurt or killed by a gun carelessly left out by a father or other male and that there was little hesitation when it came to charging Xiong.

“We need to send messages,” Freeman said. “We’re not looking for profound penalties for these people. We’re looking for messages: Don’t keep loaded handguns accessible to kids.”

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

Minneapolis elementary student brings gun to school in backpack

A gun was discharged in a student's backpack outside of  Minneapolis elementary school. From an article:

An investigation is underway after a gun went off in the backpack of an elementary school student.

Bethune Community School is a pre-K through fifth grade school. On Tuesday just before students were dismissed for the day a gun was accidentally discharged from inside a student's backpack but no one was injured, according district spokesperson Rachel Hicks.

Neither Hicks nor Minneapolis police could say how the student got the gun or how it went off.

Hicks said the district has a strict policy when it comes to weapons in schools. She could not comment directly about the student's discipline citing data privacy laws but in a written statement Hicks wrote:

"Weapons of any kind are strictly prohibited on school property...although Federal Law requires us to recommend expulsion in all cases of a student possessing a gun at schools...the superintendent can and regularly does use discretion in recommending appropriate disciplinary action."

Police spokesperson Cyndi Barrington said the student is too young to be charged with a crime but their investigation continues.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

Urban teens and the proliferation of illegal guns

An article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune explores the proliferation of illegal guns in urban neighborhoods in Minnesota and all over the country. Teens in these neighborhoods can easily access guns and feel as if they need them for survival. From the article:

Minneapolis had recorded another senseless murder: a case of two teenagers, shooter and victim, both swept away in the river of guns flowing through poor urban neighborhoods in the Twin Cities and across the country, guns that constantly swap hands, guns from a shadowy marketplace that’s hard for investigators to shut down, guns that are cheap, plentiful and ever more deadly. 

“Children know that guns are easily available, that they’re getting into the wrong hands, and no one is really addressing that issue,” said Andre Dukes, assistant pastor at Shiloh Temple International Ministries and family academy director of the Northside Achievement Zone.

As they struggle to prevent more teen funerals and prison terms, Dukes and other community leaders say the raging debate over gun control must include the bloodshed in the nation’s cities being stoked by a flourishing, illicit gun trade.

Urban gun violence does not typically erupt in nation-shocking massacres like the one at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., last December. On city streets, the devastation from gun violence comes and goes with little notice, day after day, with just a few shots, some fired randomly, often after a gang dispute or a petty grudge.

This is a compelling article with the story of a young man who shot at another young man in a confrontation that would not have been deadly without the gun. Guns are easily available to teens all over America. It reminds us of the daily deaths of children and teens in our communities.

A gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

10-year old boy killed in random Minnesota shooting

A 33-year old man stood in the street in Oakdale, Minnesota, firing at random passing cars.

In those cars were a 10 year old boy and two other individuals.  The boy was killed.  The others were wounded.

The motive of the shooter is unclear, and his targets were apparently random.

From an article:

The 33-year-old gunman, who was in police custody Monday night, began firing a handgun about 6:10 p.m. while standing in the street near Hadley Avenue N. and 7th Street N., said Oakdale police Capt. Jack Kettler. 

At least two vehicles struck by bullets sped into the parking lot of the nearby Rainbow Foods at 7053 10th St. N. seeking help. 

Kettler said the shootings appeared to be entirely random and the motive of the gunman, whose name was not released, was unclear. 

"God only knows what motivates someone to do this," Kettler said. "It's happening way too often," he added, referring to recent random shootings across the country. 

Residents of homes near the intersection of Hadley and 7th said they heard two bursts of gunfire, each consisting of four to six shots, about a minute apart. 

"We have three victims that we know of at this time who received gunshot wounds," Kettler said late Monday. He said that other vehicles could have been struck by gunfire and their drivers may not know it yet. 

Kettler would not say more about the victims, where they were shot or what vehicles they were in. They were taken to Regions Hospital, where one, a 68-year-old woman, was listed in good condition late Monday. 

About 10 minutes after the shooting, the gunman was taken into custody by officers, who subdued him and retrieved the weapon, Kettler said. No one was hurt during the arrest.

From another article about this shooting:

Kettler said the shootings appeared to be entirely random and the motive of the gunman, whose name was not released, was unclear.

"God only knows what motivates someone to do this," Kettler said. "It's happening way too often," he added, referring to recent random shootings across the country. (...)

Oakdale Mayor Carmen Sarrack expressed shock and grief at the shootings, saying such events are rare in the east metro suburb.

"It's sick," said the mayor, thinking of his own five grandchildren. "What can you say when a 10-year-old is killed. ... You just feel so bad for the family. They were just out driving by on a February night. It's just a shame. People here are devastated that this could happen in our city, especially when the nation is grappling with gun control."

Jennifer McNeil, a spokeswoman for the North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale School District, said school officials will have a crisis team, including social workers and psychologists, available for students on Tuesday.

The name of the 10 year old shot and the shooter have now been revealed in this article: 

from Minneapolis Star Tribune

A 34-year-old man is in jail Tuesday, accused of randomly shooting at passing vehicles in his Oakdale neighborhood, killing a 9-year-old boy and wounding the child's mother and another woman.

Nhan L. Tran, whose home is a few blocks from the two shooting scenes near 7th Street N., began firing a handgun about 6:10 p.m. Monday while standing along the road, police said.

Melissa Aryal identified her son, Devin, as the boy who was shot while the two were in the same vehicle. Melissa Aryal, 39, also was wounded, then taken to Regions Hospital, treated and released, according to a hospital spokeswoman.

Witnesses gave different accounts of how the shooter was behaving -- one saying he appeared calm and another describing him as paranoid. Cheryl Russell, who lives across the street from the suspect's home, said Tuesday that she looked out a window from her home and saw the man shooting at vehicles at two locations.

In an interview from her home, Melissa Aryal said she and Devin were just leaving day care, when the shooting began.

"He was so proud because he did all his homework at day care," said the mom, who goes by Missy. "He wanted to come home and play for the evening."

She said they both heard a noise under the hood, and as she braked to turn onto Hadley Avenue, she felt her arm go numb. She swerved into the Rainbow parking lot a half-block away, called 911, got out and then saw Devin slumped in the back seat.

Tuesday morning, officials at Devin's school called and wept on the phone with his mother, Aryal said.

"The kids are having a hard time because he was just a lovable little boy," she said. "Everybody knew him and loved him." (...) 

"He was walking very erratically," Lowen said, offering a different perspective on Tran's demeanor than what Russell described. "He kept doing full 360s looking behind him, looking very paranoid. He was making sure no one saw him, is what it looked like."

Lowen said the suspect walked in circles about four times before crossing Hadley into a parking lot.

Police are coordinating their investigation with the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. More information from authorities was expected to be released Tuesday afternoon.

At Devin's home, Aryal hugged his only sibling, 18-year-old Savanna LaVenture. Behind them on the living-room television was a newscaster speaking about 151 mass shootings in 2012.

"I don't know how anyone can do senseless shootings," the sobbing mother said, her bullet-wounded arm in a sling, her hospital slippers still on from the evening before.

She talked of Devin, the bespectacled boy who liked ice cream for supper.

He looked up to his older sister, often showering her with gifts, the teen said, including some of his dozens of stuff animals.

Devin loved soccer, and he also loved gazing at the night skies with his telescope, dreaming of becoming an astronaut, said his family and a family friend.

"Everybody knew him and loved him," Aryal said. "He would talk to anyone and everyone."

UPDATE (2/12/13): Another article describes the anguish of Devin's mother:

Missy Aryal was driving up 7th Street in Oakdale, Minn. on Monday night when she heard a sound, then felt blood running down her arm. 

While tending to her arm, the mother looked into her rear view mirror and saw her son – 9-year-old Devin Aryal – slumped over in the back seat. She pulled into the Rainbow Foods parking lot, held her dying son in her arms and cried for help. 

"I was just holding his head in my arms until the ambulance came, just crying hysterically and I just kind of held onto him," Aryal said. 

Devin, a fourth grader at Oakdale Elementary, had a gunshot wound to the head. All his mother could do was hold him in her arms and hear him take his final breaths.  

"I told him 'I love you, hold on,'' and I just kept screaming for more help," Aryal said. "He was a remarkable boy. He loved life, he loved everybody. Everybody loved him."

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9 year old Minnesota boy killed when gunman randomly shot at cars

It's a scary world when someone with a gun starts shooting randomly at cars in parking lots. That is what happened in a St. Paul, Minnesota suburb today. A 9 or 10 year old boy was killed after being struck by a bullet as a man was shooting randomly in a grocery store parking lot:

A young boy was fatally shot and two people were wounded Monday night in a chaotic and apparently random spurt of gunfire near the Rainbow Foods store in Oakdale, Oakdale Mayor Carmen Sarrack confirmed.

Police scanner reports and witnesses said that an armed man on foot apparently was firing randomly at vehicles in the area of Hadley Avenue N. and 7th Street N., near the Rainbow Foods at 7053 10th St. N., when the victims were hit. Sarrack said the boy who was killed was 9 or 10 years old.

The unidentified male suspect was taken into custody after multiple police officers established perimeters and began searching for him just minutes after the shooting was reported Monday evening, according to scanner reports. A weapon was retrieved, those reports said.

A swarm of investigators from Oakdale police, Washington County and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension were at the scene late Monday.

Sarrack said the gunmen reportedly shot at four vehicles. People in two of the cars weren't hurt, he said.

"The police are still sorting things out," Sarrack said.

"It's sick," the mayor said. "What can you say when a 9-year-old or 10-year-old is killed. ... People here are devastated that this could happen in our city."

Minnesota father gets probation for leaving loaded gun accessible

A Minnesota father left a gun loaded and accessible for his 9 year old to find last August. His 2 year old son was shot and injured as a result. Now he has received a probation sentence for allowing access to a gun to his child. From an article:

Lue Xiong has a gun safety message for all to hear: Don't leave loaded guns where kids can get them.

He had done exactly that, and his 2-year-old son nearly died of a gunshot to the head on Aug. 2.

The toddler's 9-year-old brother found a gun in a file cabinet drawer in his parents' bedroom, pointed it at the boy's head and pulled the trigger in the family's home in the 1300 block of Beech Street in St. Paul.

The boy's 16-year-old sister had been baby-sitting that day but was sleeping when the shooting happened. The 9-year-old didn't know the gun was loaded, according to a criminal complaint.

Thursday, the remorseful father went to court and received probation for a negligent storage of a loaded firearm where a child can access it, which is a gross misdemeanor.

Terms of his two years on probation include speaking to the public about gun safety. He'll do so under the monitoring of the Neighborhood Justice Center, a nonprofit, community-based legal service. The Ramsey County attorney's office will be keeping tabs, too.

The toddler is now in physical therapy and doing well in his recovery, officials said.

Xiong, 43, has completed a gun safety course and intends to have his family members take a gun safety course as well, said Dennis Gerhardstein, a spokesman for the Ramsey County attorney's office,

He said Xiong is the sole breadwinner for his family, which is one reason he was placed on probation, along with his willingness to do community service through outreach to promote gun safety,...

Having loaded guns around the home can lead to tragedies such as this one. Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

16-year old Minnesota girl shot by grandfather who mistook her for an intruder

A 16-year old girl, who lives with her grandparents in Rochester, Minnesota, stepped outside around 11 PM.  Her grandfather, not realizing she had stepped outside, heard her and thought she was an intruder on the porch.  He armed himself with a 9mm pistol and shot her in the upper torso without warning.

She is now in the hospital in critical condition.

From an article:

When the couple went to bed Monday night, the girl was still at home, Winters said. When they woke to a noise outside around 11 p.m., the man armed himself with a 9 mm pistol and went to investigate while the grandmother called police. 

The man saw a figure at the patio door and fired two rounds, striking his granddaughter once, Winters said, declining to give the family's name. 

"This is a tragic event and both the grandfather and grandmother were distraught and emotionally upset," he said. 

There was no evidence of any dispute or disagreement between the girl and her grandparents, Winters added. Police haven't been able to speak to the girl yet, who was responsive but not verbal. 

"Preliminary indications are she perhaps left the residence to go outside and get some air and have a cigarette," Winters said. 

The grandfather was not arrested, but authorities will continue to investigate and, if appropriate, will forward the case to prosecutors for potential criminal charges, Winters said.

UPDATE (1/18/13):  The grandaughter eventually recovered.  The grandfather, Stanley W. Wilkinson, has now been charged with a felony for the shooting.  From an article:

According to the criminal complaint, Wilkinson, 61, said his granddaughter went to her bedroom about 10 p.m. on Dec. 10. At about 11:30, he and his wife woke to noises like the crunching of snow outside their bedroom window. 

Looking out the window, Wilkinson said he saw a figure moving in the dark with what appeared to be a lit flashlight. Without his glasses, he said, he can't see very well. 

Thinking that someone was breaking into their house, Wilkinson said he got his pistol and told his wife to call the police. 

Wilkinson said he turned on the living room lights to scare off the intruder, then switched them off. 

Seeing that the person outside was trying to come in, he backed up and fired his gun through the closed door, later acknowledging to police that he didn't give a warning. But the shot didn't appear to stop the person from trying to open the door, he said, so he shot again. 

Then he heard his granddaughter's voice: "Poppa!" she yelled. 

Before the tragedy unfurled, the granddaughter had gone to her room after coming home at about 9 p.m. that night, she told police in an interview Dec. 20. An hour later, she left the house without telling her grandparents so she could meet up with a couple of friends. As she tried to sneak back into the house an hour later, she noticed the light in her grandparents' bedroom was on so she tried to be quiet. But the snow crunched, she said. 

Standing on the deck, her iPhone illuminated, she saw the living room lights go on, then off. She looked through the sliding-door glass, figuring that her grandparents knew she was gone and were waiting for her. As she peered through the glass, she heard the shots and saw a flash. 

Wilkinson began rescue breathing. According to the 911 transcripts, the pastor's wife begged for help in saving her granddaughter. "She's bleeding, bleeding bad!" she tells the dispatcher. "Please save her!" 

As Wilkinson's granddaughter recovered in the hospital in December, the pastor agreed to a short newspaper interview in hopes of cautioning others who might be caught in a similar situation. 

"Even if you have a plan for an emergency, you don't know what you'll do out of fear," he said then. "You just don't know what you'll do when, out of fear you do things that you wish you hadn't ever done."

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2 year old Minnesota toddler shot to death by 4 year old brother

Neegnco Xiong, age 2

There's been another shooting of a toddler by a sibling. A two year old Minneapolis boy was shot to death when his four year old brother found a gun and was playing with it. From an article:

A 2-year-old boy was fatally shot Wednesday afternoon in a Minneapolis home by his 4-year-old brother, who was playing with a gun that he found in a bedroom, police said.

The shooting took place about 12:45 p.m. in a townhouse in the 1900 block of S. 7th Street, in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, said Sgt. William Palmer, a police spokesman. Someone in the house called 911. Palmer said the 2-year-old died in the ambulance at the scene.

The childrens' mother and father, and a one-year-old child, were home at the time. The parents were taken to police headquarters for questioning, Palmer said.

Family members identified the deceased 2-year-old as Neegnco Xiong and his parents, Kao Xiong, the father, and Ma Vang, the mother.

"I'm in shock, it's scary, it's too much," said Yash Xiong, Kao Xiong's brother.

He said his brother had purchased the handgun at a Gander Mountain store in Eau Claire, Wis. about eight years ago when he lived in Wisconsin.

Yash Xiong said his brother had brought the gun for protection and had a legal permit for it from the state of Wisconsin. He said that the gun was kept on a shelf at the top of a closet, although his brother sometimes took it with him.

Here's some good advice from the article:

Although he said "it appears to be a tragic accident," Palmer said "we will fully investigate... what happened and present it to the county attorney."

He said the shooting underscores the need of firearm owners storing their weapons to keep them unloaded, with ammunition stored separately, and secure them under lock and key. 

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

From another article about this tragic shooting:

The 4-year-old boy who fatally shot his 2-year-old brother with a pistol in an upstairs bedroom, had found the gun tucked under a pillow.

Kao Xiong, 33, who appeared to be overcome with grief, said in an interview that he had a permit to carry the semi-automatic handgun, and had wedged it under a pillow next to the bed’s headboard.

“My heart is broke,” said Xiong. “I wish I could be a new person.” His wife, Ma Vang, who sat nearby and speaks little English, looked on but had no comment.

Xiong said he worked for a St. Paul non-profit that helps the mentally ill and had come home for lunch. His wife was vacuuming so Neegnco Xiong, 2, and his 4-year-old brother went upstairs and were playing in the bed.

The couple heard a single gunshot and rushed upstairs to find Neegnco hunched on the bed, face down, Xiong said. He told his wife to call 911, picked up the toddler and then spoke to a dispatcher, while he intermittently gave the the boy CPR.

“I can’t imagine this terrible thing would happen to me,” Xiong said. He said he bought the gun a year and a half ago at a sporting good store and taken classes and gotten a permit. He said he kept the gun loaded because he sometimes carried it with him, if he went to a store at night or went jogging. Police interviewed Xiong on Wednesday. Sgt. William Palmer, a Minneapolis police spokesman, called it a "horrible accident" but said an investigation is being conducted and the findings will be turned over to the Hennepin County attorney's office.

(a related article)

UPDATE (12/30/12):  The father, Kao Xiong, is being charged with two felonies for leaving his guns within easy reach of his children, leading to the shooting.

17-year old boy and 18-year old girl shot in Minnesota basement by homeowner

Haile Kifer, age 18

A 17-year old boy, Nicholas Brady, and his18-year old cousin, Haile Kifer, were shot in the basement of a home in Little Falls, Minnesota, by the homeowner.  The owner claimed self-defense and that they had broken into the home.

But the Sheriff seems to have doubts about the claim.  The man was arrested for suspicion of murder, because of shooting the teens multiple times, execution-style, and not reporting the shooting for a day.

From an article:

Police responded to a home around 1 p.m. Friday in the 14000 block of Elm Street, north of Little Falls, on reports of suspicious activity. 

Upon arrival, police were met by Byron David Smith, 64, who told them he had shot and killed two people who were breaking into his home the day before around noon. 

Nicholas Brady, age 17

Deputies found the bodies of a 17-year-old boy and an 18-year-old girl in the basement of the home. 

"A person has every right to defend themselves and their homes, even employing deadly force if necessary," said Michel Wetzel, Morrison County sheriff. 

But the sheriff said circumstances of this incident led deputies to believe Smith went beyond that point. 

Wetzel told the St. Cloud Times that Smith had no history with the sheriff’s office and that he had no information about whether the teenagers and Smith knew each other. 

The identities of the two teens and their exact cause of death will be released by the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office. 

Smith was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder, with charges expected to be filed Monday.

UPDATE (11/26/12):  At what point does "self-defense" of one's home become overkill?  The two unarmed teens were shot execution style, multiple times, and without warning, though they had broken into the home.  Nicholas Brady, 17, and his cousin Haile Kifer, 18.  Here is a good write-up of the details of the shooting and discussion of the ramifications.

(a related article, with photos of the shooter, the home, and the two teens)
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Man threatens kids with AK47 after accusing them of stealing candy

A man in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, was mad that some "older kids" had stolen his kids' Halloween candy.  So he armed himself with an AK-47 assault rifle, got in his car with his wife and two children, and went hunting for the kids.

After briefly being pulled over by police for "driving erratically," the man then found some kids and threatened them with the AK-47.  Police eventually caught up with the man again and has been charged with a felony for his actions.

From an article:

Police found a group of juvenile boys, who said a man had driven up, pulled over and began to yell at them, accusing them of stealing candy from his child. When the man pulled out a “long gun,” the boys ran away. 

The boys described the suspect as a white male with an Asian female passenger in his car, the same description of a driver who was stopped earlier in the evening for driving erratically. During that traffic stop, the driver, identified as Hager, told officers that he was looking for “older kids” who had stolen candy from his child. 

Police went to Hager’s home and found him “very eager” to talk to them. He told them that he was angry that someone had stolen candy from his child, so he got into his car – accompanied by his wife and two children – and went searching for the “kids” who were responsible for the theft, according to the complaint. 

When he saw the group at 27th and Brunswick, he got out of his car to confront them, he told police. However, it appeared that none of them were taking him seriously and they were giving him “attitude,” he said, so he pulled a gun from his car, the complaint says. 

Hager said he held the gun near his side, but never pointed or fired it. He said he got back into his car and followed one of the boys whom he thought had stolen the candy, then stopped the car, put the gun in his trunk and went home, according to the complaint. 

Police arrested Hager and confiscated the unloaded AK-47.  [....] 

Hager has been released from custody on a $100,000 bond. No more court appearances have been scheduled in his case.

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Minnesota toddler taken by father with gun

A 17 month old Minnesota toddler was taken by her father who was armed with a gun. From an article:

Police say a toddler who was taken by her armed, non-custodial father in St. Louis Park has been found safe.

Authorities say the father took the 17-month-old girl from her home and assaulted the child's mother Thursday night. The woman told police he was armed with a pistol and threatened to kill the girl and himself.

Minnesota school bus driver tells student to pick up gun

A Minnesota school bus driver told a middle school student to pick something up along the side of the road. He stopped the bus when he saw something lying in the road and told a student to get off the bus and pick it up. When the student got back onto the bus, he was holding a gun in his hand. From an article:

About 8 a.m. Thursday, a bus driver en route to Robbinsdale Middle School spotted something on the side of the road near the intersection of 25th and Irving Avenues N. in Minneapolis, said Tia Clasen, spokeswoman for the Robbinsdale schools.

He made an unscheduled stop and asked a seventh-grader to get off the bus and pick up the object, Clasen said.

The driver later reported the incident to staffers at the middle school and reportedly explained that he was bringing the gun to the dispatch office of his bus company, Metropolitan Transportation Network.

Robbinsdale police and the bus company were investigating the incident Thursday, Clasen said.

Clasen said she wasn't aware if the gun was loaded. The identity of the bus driver hasn't been released.

Robbinsdale Middle School Principal John Cook sent a letter to parents Thursday commending the student for being respectful to the driver but calling the incident an unsafe situation. He asked parents to talk to their kids about what to do in dangerous situations.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

UPDATE (11/9/12):  The bus driver has now been fired.  From an article:

Tufaa said the driver, who he wouldn't name, ignored "very huge signs" inside the bus that prohibit any such action. 

"Even if they see a $20 bill, they cannot pick it up," he said. "They are supposed to call their supervisor immediately." 

The incident is without precedent at MTA, Tufaa said. 

A spokesperson at Robbinsdale Area Schoolssaid the same was true for the school. "This has never happened before," spokesperson Tia Clasen told Golden Valley Patch. "I encourage families to talk to their students about situations that may arise where the students may feel uncomfortable."

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16-year old Minnesota boy injured when shot while duck hunting

Baker Felix (left), age 16.

16-year old Baker Felix was in a canoe, duck hunting, with two 18-year olds near Iron, Minnesota, when he was unintentionally shot by his brother with a shotgun.

From an article:

A rural Eveleth youth has been injured in a duck hunting accident in northeastern Minnesota. 

The Mesabi Daily News of Virginia reports that 16-year-old Baker Felix was hunting Saturday in a canoe on Elbow Lake in Iron with his brother, 18-year-old Bryten Felix, also of rural Eveleth, and 18-year-old Olaf Walkky, of Britt. 

A flock of ducks flew over and the teens stood up to shoot, resulting in the canoe rolling and taking water. The St. Louis County sheriff's office says Bryten Felix fell backward and tried to catch himself. The shotgun he was holding discharged, and the blast hit his brother, Baker Felix, in the knee. 

Baker Felix was taken by ambulance to a Duluth hospital, where he was listed in stable condition. The incident is under investigation.

(a related article).

Pre-school aged child finds bodies of mom and a man in home

A very young Minnesota child found the bodies of his mother and a man shot dead in his house. From the article:

The child of preschool age went to a neighbor and said his mother was not moving, said Police Chief Steve Smith.

Officers arrived at the home about 9:25 a.m. and discovered the bodies "in close proximity to each other," Smith said. A gun was recovered at the scene, the chief added.

Smith said that "at this time there is no one specifically that we're looking at" as a suspect.

"We're not quite sure what we have," he added, when asked whether this could be a case of murder-suicide. "We're hoping to know more later."

Little children shouldn't have to discover the dead bodies of their mothers in their houses.

2-year old boy shot in head by 9-year old Minnesota boy who found father's gun

2-year old Jacob Xiong and his 9-year old brother were at home while their father was at work.  That's when the older boy found his father's loaded, unsecured gun, pointed it at his younger brother's head, and pulled the trigger.  Jacob has survived so far despite the head wound.

From an article:

A St. Paul father has been charged with child endangerment after his toddler was shot in the head by a gun left in an unlocked cabinet.

According to a criminal complaint, 2-year-old Jacob Xiong was shot by his 9-year-old brother while their parents were at work. It happened on Aug. 2 after Jacob's brother found the gun in a file cabinet inside a bedroom.

The complaint says the 9-year-old thought the gun was locked, pointed it at his little brother's head, and pulled the trigger.

Jacob Xiong was shot through the left side of his forehead. He's being treated at Gillette Children's Hospital.

According to another article, two other boys, ages 7 and 10, were also present during the shooting.  The gun was a 9mm.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

Rural Minnesota boy struck by stray bullet

An 8 year old boy in rural Minnesota was hit by a bullet that ricocheted from a gun shot by his brother. From the article:

According to a news release from Meeker County Sheriff Jeff Norlin, the Sheriff’s office received a 911 call around 12:45 p.m. Thursday afternoon from Peter Wuollet, who lives along the 73000 block of County Road 6 in Collinwood Township. The call reported that their son had been accidentally shot in the head with a black powder .44-caliber handgun by a sibling. The bullet had ricocheted off the ground and then hit the boy in the head.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.