Apple Valley man charged in shooting where his mother was killed in crossfire
APPLE VALLEY, Minn. -- A Twin Cities man is facing charges for a weekend shooting in which his mother was killed in the crossfire.
Billy Prior Jr., 25, of Apple Valley, is charged in Dakota County with second-degree assault and possessing a pistol without a permit in connection to the Sunday evening shooting, which left his mother, 49-year-old Michelle McGill, dead.
According to a criminal complaint, McGill's ex-boyfriend, 39-year-old Willie Selmon, went to her Apple Valley home to get some things from the residence they once shared on the 900 block of Oriole Drive.
He told officers that when he pulled up the the house he saw both McGill and Prior sitting in their respective vehicles in the driveway. After he got his things from the garage, Selmon returned to his car, and Prior backed his vehicle up next to his.
Prior told Selmon he had a gun and started shooting, Selmon told police. Two of the bullets struck Selmon in the face. He got out of his car and ran toward McGill's vehicle, thinking Prior would stop shooting if his mother was between them.
But the bullet still flew, the complaint states, with both Selmon and Prior firing at each other as McGill was between them. An autopsy showed that she was struck 10 times, mostly in her chest and abdomen. Responding officers found her dead at the scene, where they also found her son.
Despite his injuries, Selmon drove himself to a hospital. Later, he was transported to another facility, where he was treated for two gunshot wounds to the head, the complaint states. One of the bullets was lodged in his jaw, requiring surgery for removal.
If convicted of the assault charge, Prior faces up to 10 years in prison. According to prosecutors, he was convicted of possessing a pistol without a permit last year.
