Father, Son Charged After Shotgun Fired During Itasca County Dispute
BY MN CRIME STAFF
A father told his son to grab a shotgun during a dispute at their Itasca County property, and the son fired a round near a shed where two people were hiding, court documents say.
Wayne Michael Amador Cronin, 45, of Deer River, faces a felony charge of aiding and abetting threats of violence and a misdemeanor charge of aiding and abetting fifth-degree assault.
His son, Wayne Cronin Jr., 19, faces felony threats of violence and misdemeanor assault charges for allegedly firing the weapon.
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Deputies with the Itasca County Sheriff's Office responded around 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17, to a property on County Road 137 in Deer River for a report of a stolen vehicle.
The caller told a deputy she'd been borrowing her mother's vehicle while her mother was in the hospital, and it was gone from the property, court documents say. She later called back and said her sister may have taken the car and run out of gas.
The caller said her sister was in a shed on the property but wouldn't answer the door. When the deputy arrived, he could see through a crack in the curtain that the woman was lying on a bed inside the shed. She would open her eyes and look at him but wouldn't respond or come to the door, the complaint says. A man was also in the shed and refused to come out.
Cronin Jr. then came out of the main residence, opened the shed window and crawled through to let law enforcement inside. Once officers gained entry, they spoke with the two people in the shed, who said they wanted to report a separate incident involving a gun, according to court records.
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The pair told the deputy that a few hours earlier, the elder Cronin and his son had come out of the residence angry because they believed the man had punched the woman. They were telling him to leave and Cronin Jr. was carrying a shotgun, yelling at them from near the residence. They said they both felt threatened and wouldn't open the shed door.
Cronin Jr. then allegedly fired a single round from the shotgun, the man and woman told deputies.
When a deputy spoke with Cronin Jr., he confirmed the account. He said his father told him to grab the shotgun, and he took it outside and fired a single round between the road and the shed, the complaint states. He said the shotgun had a "hair trigger" and he didn't really mean to fire it. He said he didn't intend to threaten them but wanted to "intimidate" them and get the man to leave the property.
The elder Cronin gave a similar version of events, telling the deputy he knew his son had the gun but didn't know he was going to shoot it. After his arrest, Cronin Jr. told the deputy that his father had specifically told him to go grab the gun from inside the residence. The elder Cronin then admitted he'd directed his son to get the shotgun but said he didn't think his son would fire it. He said he just wanted the man to leave and didn't intend to threaten anyone. He was then arrested.
A spent shotgun wad was found in the driveway and a .410 shell casing was found on the ground near the residence. Both were collected as evidence and officers seized the .410 shotgun, along with two other firearms found inside the home.
The elder Cronin has a prior criminal record that includes a 2021 felony domestic assault conviction in Cass County, a 2012 gross misdemeanor conviction for interfering with a 911 call in Ramsey County and a 2012 gross misdemeanor conviction for furnishing alcohol to a minor in Itasca County. Cronin Jr. has no criminal history in the state.
Felony threats of violence carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Aiding and abetting the same offense carries the same potential penalty.
Deputies with the Itasca County Sheriff's Office responded around 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17, to a property on County Road 137 in Deer River for a report of a stolen vehicle.