Man Awaiting Murder Charges In Minnetonka Shooting
MINNETONKA, Minn. (WCCO) -- A man is in jail Sunday night, awaiting murder charges after a deadly shooting at a park-and-ride ramp in Minnetonka.
Police say 25-year-old Marcus Hallmark shot a man in the head before fleeing and hiding in the woods.
It happened at the Metro Transit ramp on Wayzata Boulevard on Friday night, and it took nearly three hours for police to find Hallmark and arrest him.
WCCO's Jeff Wagner talked with neighbors in the area and has the latest on the investigation.
Like most Sundays, Jennifer Odd and her dog Oreo take a stroll around Crane Lake in Minnetonka. But this trip was nothing like the others. Something along the trail caught her attention.
"It was definitely yellow 'Do not cross' police lines. Not usually what I see when I'm out walking," she said.
The police tape tangled in the trees and tied to a fence inside the Metro Transit Park and Ride garage are what's left of a homicide investigation that started late Friday night. All police have said so far is that a 911 call for shots fired came in. When police arrived at the garage, they found a man dead with a gunshot wound to the head.
Police said witnesses saw someone running from the area. After searching the nearby woods surrounding Crane Lake for a few hours, investigators found Hallmark.
"Scary," said Odd. "I mean we have a couple kids and you know, you just don't think that in this neighborhood, I mean you hope any neighborhood."
The crime happened around 11:15 p.m. Friday, about 40 minutes after the last scheduled bus arrival. Police haven't said why the victim or Hallmark were at the garage, but surveillance cameras inside might carry some clues.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's office told us we're likely learn the victim's identity Monday. Hallmark is in jail, but is awaiting charges. He has a lengthy criminal history, including convictions for burglaries and assault.
