Man, 18, charged with second-degree murder in fatal Mankato shooting
MANKATO, Minn. — An 18-year-old man is facing a second-degree murder charge after a fatal shooting in Mankato Saturday.
Court documents show the man is also charged with possessing a firearm with no serial number.
According to the criminal complaint, a male witness of the shooting called 911 from his residence in Blue Earth County around 3:15 a.m., saying someone was shot. Responding officers found a man dead in the passenger seat of a vehicle with an apparent gunshot wound.
The witness said he was driving the vehicle at the time of the shooting, charges say. He and the victim had driven to the 500 block of East Walnut Street in Mankato for a cart deal. Police say carts are marijuana cartridges for e-cigarettes.
The man said he parked in the street when the 18-year-old opened the rear passenger door, heard the victim say, "Why are you clutching bro," and then heard a pop, charges say.
The 18-year-old ran off and the male witness drove to his residence and called 911. Investigators used GPS data from the witness's phone to confirm the information he told police.
Surveillance video in the area of the shooting allegedly showed two people walk up to the witness's car, which was parked near the 18-year-old's residence. The video shows one of the people walking by the passenger side of the vehicle, then both people running away a few seconds later.
Police spoke with one of the people who walked up to the vehicle. That person said he walked up to the vehicle with the 18-year-old. He was allegedly around the driver's side when he heard a loud bang, and then saw the 18-year-old run away.
Charges say police then spoke with the 18-year-old at his residence. He initially denied knowledge of anything happening around his residence, but allegedly admitted to shooting the man when confronted with information the officers learned.
The 18-year-old said he had planned to take the carts and sell them. He also told officers that when he entered the vehicle, he saw the victim's hand move and didn't know what the victim was doing so he shot him, charges say. The 18-year-old said he didn't see a gun, but assumed the victim had one.
According to court documents, the 18-year-old told officers the location where he hid the gun he used to shoot the victim. There, officers found a loaded .40 caliber handgun with no serial number.
Police say they also found a handgun in the center console of the vehicle.