Suspect Charged After Victim Shot in Head During Minneapolis Robbery
BY MN CRIME STAFF
A man was shot in the back of the head during a robbery on a Minneapolis street earlier this month and a suspect is now charged.
Ajay Joseph Meyer, 19, of Saint Paul, faces felony counts of first-degree assault and first-degree aggravated robbery.
Minneapolis police responded to a report of a shooting near the corner of E. 15th Street and Nicollet Avenue on March 7.
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Officers found a man on the front steps of an apartment building with a gunshot wound to the back of his head. He was transported to a hospital, where doctors observed serious brain injuries. As of the complaint's filing, the victim remained hospitalized in serious condition.
Surveillance footage showed a vehicle arrive and park near the scene and four people got out. About eight minutes later, a second vehicle pulled up, and one member of the group handed the newly arrived man an object consistent in appearance with a semiautomatic handgun, according to court documents.
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The video then showed the group walk toward the victim, who was standing in the area. Several members of the group put their hands on him and began to tussle with the victim. One of the co-defendants struck the victim with his hand and another walked away carrying the victim's sweatshirt, the complaint says.
A few seconds later, a single muzzle flash appeared near the victim's head. He fell to the ground, with the group running back to their vehicles and leaving the scene.
A witness later identified Meyer as one of the people who exited the first vehicle. Court records show Meyer got out of the driver's side rear passenger seat while wearing a light-colored jacket and dark pants.
On March 13, police executed a search warrant at a residence in Inver Grove Heights and Meyer was arrested there. Officers also recovered a handgun and a 9-millimeter cartridge inside the home. Police are conducting forensic testing on the firearm to compare it to evidence collected at the scene.
Meyer is in custody on $300,000 bail. First-degree assault and first-degree aggravated robbery each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The firearm enhancement carries a mandatory minimum of three years.
Officers responded around 10:40 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17, to the 5800 block of 4th Street Northeast in Fridley on reports of a shooting. Multiple callers reported hearing rapid gunfire.