No one in custody months after Oakdale bonfire shooting
More than two months after a shooting in an Oakdale, Minnesota, backyard left a 33-year-old St. Paul man with life-threatening injuries, family members are still waiting for answers.
April Heroff said she was spending time with her husband and his cousin, David Voss, during a backyard bonfire in July, when gunfire suddenly erupted.
"I saw the muzzle flash through the woods. We heard shots and that's when David told us that he had been hit," Heroff recalled.
Voss is the godfather of Heroff's daughter.
"He's the best godfather that our daughter could ever ask for," she said.
Voss was struck by a bullet in the stomach area and was rushed to Regions Hospital for emergency surgery.
"I work in the operating room at Regions Hospital, and so I'm very familiar with gunshot wounds," Heroff said.
Voss's recovery remains far from over.
Two months after the shooting, Voss was released from the surgical intensive care unit, but now faces at least six months in a rehabilitation center. His ninth surgery took place Tuesday, when doctors performed a skin graft procedure to help close his wounds.
"He's essentially being kept alive by intravenous nutrition at this point and will be for quite some time while his body heals," Heroff said.
Oakdale police initially arrested an Oakdale man in connection with the shooting, but he was later released pending further investigation.
Police now say they have identified a different person of interest and have collected evidence from their home.
Evidence collected includes firearms and ammunition recovered during the investigation, police said. Heroff shared photographs of rounds of gunfire in her backyard, including one round lodged in the dirt and another near the base of a tree.
Oakdale police say they are waiting for the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension's crime lab to process evidence that could help move the case forward and provide answers for the family. The BCA said it's assisting with the investigation, but declined to release additional details.
"The fact we're looking at multiple parties who could have done this is scary," she said.
The fear has changed daily life for Heroff, including how she uses her own backyard. She is hesitant to let her 2-year-old daughter, Lottie, play outside.
"I hope that there's an arrest, and I hope that my family can continue to live in peace," Heroff said. "More than anything, I really hope that David gets some sort of justice."
