A man fired toward a vehicle after someone threw water on him while he walked his dog, grazing a juvenile in the head, according to charges. The shooting happened Aug. 31 near the 700 block of Van White Memorial Boulevard in Minneapolis.
John David Pinney, 50, is charged with possessing a firearm as a prohibited person, second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and receiving stolen property involving a firearm.
Officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert followed by a 911 call reporting a wounded juvenile. They found him bleeding from his right temple and learned he had suffered a graze wound that was not life-threatening, according to the complaint.
The juvenile said one of his friends had thrown something at a man walking a dog, and the man responded by shooting at the group. Other witnesses described a cup of water being thrown before the gunfire.
Police found Pinney nearby and said he matched the suspect’s description. He initially told officers that someone in an erratically driven vehicle threw liquid on him, then someone began shooting. He said he did not know who fired.
Surveillance video showed Pinney walking away from the shooting area toward his residence, then entering a vehicle and appearing to place something inside, according to the complaint.
Investigators obtained a warrant to search the vehicle and found a 9mm handgun with a partially loaded magazine. An initial ballistics comparison linked casings test-fired from the gun to casings recovered at the scene, the complaint says.
In a later interview, Pinney admitted firing toward the vehicle as it drove away after water was thrown on him, according to investigators. He also said he knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms and had stolen the gun.
The complaint cites prior felony drug and assault convictions as the basis for the firearm prohibition.
