Minneapolis Man Faces Attempted Murder Charge After Shooting Victim In The Face With Shotgun

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 19-year-old Minneapolis man has been charged with allegedly shooting a victim in the face with a shotgun as they were sleeping.

The Hennepin County Attorney's Office charged Michael Alexander with second-degree attempted murder and first-degree assault – both felonies – in connection to the shooting on Tuesday.

According to the criminal complaint, officers responded to the report of a shooting at an apartment on the 2300 block of Jefferson Avenue Northeast. When officers arrived, they located Alexander, who was carrying a box that had a shotgun inside. Two used and two unused shotgun shells were also discovered on him.

Inside the apartment, police found a male victim suffering from a gunshot wound to the face. As of Wednesday, the victim is still in the hospital in critical condition.

A witness, Alexander's sister, said she and the victim were sleeping when she heard two shots. After the second shot, she heard the victim scream. She said she sat up and saw Alexander leaving the apartment. The sister and victim's 1-year-old child was sleeping "only feet away from them," the complaint said.

The complaint says Alexander, in a post-Miranda statement, said he had been feeling that his family and the victim were "out to get him." He admitted to going into their room and shooting at the victim twice while he was in bed.

If convicted, Alexander could face up to 20 years in prison on the attempted murder charge.