A 25-year-old man in Minnesota was recently accused of committing multiple felony crimes. The felonies with which he has been charged are associated with a shooting that police said took place in early September. The reported shooting ended up harming a child and a woman.
According to police, multiple people got together at a home one day when a dispute broke out between two women who were roommates. The women’s family members also engaged in the fight. Authorities said that one of the women’s male cousins reportedly had a gun at the scene and was trying to defend the woman and his mom. Meanwhile, the family members associated with the other women were also at the home with a box cutter, bat and electroshock weapon in hand.
The male cousin reportedly flashed his gun and later fired at people outside the home. That is when he allegedly hit a woman. He also reportedly tried to follow a man and child associated with the other roommate, and after firing at them, his bullet struck the child and gave her a brain injury. The man now faces five second-degree assault counts following the shooting and may face 38 years behind bars if he is convicted of every count.
Being accused of multiple felonies can understandably be intimidating. However, no person charged with such crimes in Minnesota can be convicted unless prosecutors prove one’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. This high standard exists with the goal of preventing innocent people from being convicted of crimes and being sentenced accordingly. An attorney will look for weaknesses in the prosecution’s argument with the goal of helping the defendant to achieve the most personally favorable outcome possible in court.