Man Charged with Attempted Murder After Fridley Shooting

A Robbinsdale man faces 2nd-degree attempted murder charges for allegedly shooting a man in Fridley on May 22 after an argument outside an apartment escalated to gunfire.

According to a criminal complaint, officers were called to Unity Hospital for a man suffering from a gunshot wound just before 3:00 p.m. on May 22 and talked with the victim about the shooting. The victim told officers the shooting occurred on the 600 block of Osborne Road in Fridley at an apartment building and a man named “Johnny” was the one who shot him.

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Investigators determined that “Johnny” was John Elliot Dickens, 20, of Robbinsdale. Dickens is also the brother of the victim’s child’s mother.

The victim told officers that he was arguing with the mother of his child, who told him that he “would be touched” as a result of the argument while on the phone with her sister. A few moments later, Dickens arrived and confronted the victim near the front door of the apartment building and shot him in the abdomen. 

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Video surveillance shows Dickens arrive in a white Ford Fusion and him exiting the car, then walking towards the front door. Dickens is then seen having a confrontation with the victim before firing shots and returning to the white Ford sedan. Video then shows the mother of the victim's child entering the vehicle before leaving the scene. Investigators determined the vehicle was registered DIckens’ sister and the mother of the victim’s child.

Police say the victim remains hospitalized and underwent emergency surgery on his gunshot wound. Police say the victim is currently in stable condition.

Dickens is charged with 2nd-degree attempted murder, as well as 1st-degree assault. Both are felonies and each have a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Dickens remains in the Anoka County Jail where bail was set at $500,000.

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