2 charged in drive-by shooting in St. Paul that critically injured 10-year-old boy
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Two people have been charged in a New Year's Eve shooting in St. Paul that critically injured a 10-year-old boy, court documents in Ramsey County show.
Last week, 27-year-old Morris Ryan of New Hope and 28-year-old Kelci Meyers of Hastings were each charged with second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault and drive-by shooting — all felonies — in connection to the Dec. 31 shooting.
According to the criminal complaint, police officers responded at 11:56 p.m. to the report of a shooting at a home on the 700 block of Sherburne Avenue. When they arrived, they found the 10-year-old victim in an upstairs bedroom with family members applying pressure to a gunshot wound to his stomach and buttocks.
Officials say the boy was shot in his stomach, with the bullet exiting his left buttock. He was taken to Regions Hospital in critical condition, but was later stabilized and survived the injury.
The mother of the victim told police that she was recording a video in the kitchen celebrating the new year with the victim and other children when gunfire came through the kitchen window. She says she heard a man in the alley say "F--- y'all, mother-------." When she tried to get the children out of the kitchen, she saw her son was on the floor. Another child carried the victim to the upstairs bedroom, the complaint said.
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In the investigation, police initially recovered six bullet casings from a 9mm Luger in the alley behind the house. Another 9mm bullet casing was found in a later search. Officers also found 10 bullet holes in the rear window of the house near the kitchen.
Using surveillance footage in the area, police were able to identify the suspect vehicle, a 2007 GMC Yukon, that was registered to Ryan. Footage shows the SUV in the alley being driven up to where the passenger window lined up with the kitchen window. Shortly after, 14 gunshots can be heard on the video.
Ryan and Meyers were seen on another surveillance camera at a nearby Speedway gas station minutes after the shooting, the complaint said. A search warrant later determined that Meyers made a purchase at the station.
Phone data also showed that Ryan's phone was in the area of the shooting when it happened and then subsequently at the nearby gas station, according to the complaint.
Meyers and Ryan were later arrested at a residence in Hastings. Seven handguns — two of them that fire 9mm rounds — were recovered from the home.
In an interview with police, Meyers said she used to live next door to where the shooting occurred. She said another person who lived at the house didn't get along with the neighbor — the victim's mother.
Neither Meyers nor Ryan admitted to being involved in the shooting.
If they are convicted, the attempted murder charge has a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
