On November 25, 2022, at approximately 7:19 P.M., Plymouth Police responded to a shooting. The 911 caller, Defendant AUSTIN ROBERT LECLAIRE, claimed he had been talking on the phone with his girlfriend, Victim, when he heard a gunshot. Defendant said Victim was at their residence located at 14310 40th Place in Plymouth, Hennepin County, Minnesota. Upon arrival, officers entered Defendant's garage and observed Victim lying face down on the ground near a large pool of blood. Victim had an obvious gunshot wound to her head and was non-responsive.
A neighbor flagged down police and said Defendant was on the phone. Police spoke with Defendant, who said that after he heard the gun go off, he could hear Victim breathing but she could not talk. Defendant claimed he was leaving work and would be there in 20 minutes. The neighbor told officers he frequently hears Defendant arguing with Victim, and Defendant has threatened Victim and others with a gun in the past. When Defendant had not arrived at the residence over an hour later, investigators tracked his cell phone and learned he was in Wisconsin and traveling east.
Clark County, WI deputies located Defendant and arrested him. Investigators spoke to another witness who told them just before the shooting, he was at Defendant and Victim’s residence for a birthday party. People were drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana and Defendant was arguing with Victim. About 45 minutes after the witness left, Defendant called and said his gun had gone off and hit Victim and that he did not know what to do. The witness advised Defendant to call 911. The witness also described a prior incident at his home in which Defendant was angry with Victim and said he had a gun on him.
Defendant then touched the gun on his hip, causing the gun to fire. On that occasion, when the witness told Defendant to leave, Defendant struck him in the face with the gun. In the garage, crime scene investigators observed multiple live bullets and a single.40 caliber discharged cartridge casing on the ground. They did not find a firearm. Inside the vehicle Defendant was driving when arrested in Wisconsin, officers found numerous boxes of.40 caliber ammunition and three loaded.40 caliber magazines.
In a post-Miranda interview, Defendant said he had been dating Victim for approximately three years. Defendant said prior to the shooting, he was hanging out in the garage when he got into an argument with Victim. Defendant claimed he then took his loaded Glock 22.40 caliber firearm out of his waistband and threw it on the table. He claimed plate on the magazine came off and the ammunition fell out. Defendant claimed he was walking through the garage door to leave when he heard a noise, but did not check on it and instead drove to a nearby gas station.
