Aitkin County man charged after pulling trigger on gun that never fired

(FOX 9) - An Aitkin County man has been charged with attempted murder after he told deputies he pulled the trigger on a gun pointed at his father that never went off.

In November, Aitkin County Dispatch received a call from the mother of Andrew O’Neil, who had just told her he killed his dad and was “on the way to get her,” the county said in a release.

Deputies responded to O’Neil’s father’s home, but found O’Neil near a stalled vehicle on the Hwy. 47. There, he was “displaying assaultive behavior” toward someone who stopped to help him.

O’Neil was arrested that day, Nov. 6. After his arrest, he told a deputy he had pointed a gun at his father and pulled the trigger four times, but that the gun never went off.

Monday, O’Neil was charged with seven felonies and four misdemeanors. Among his felony charges are attempted murder, possession of a firearm, assault and threats of violence.

O’Neil is still in custody, Aitkin County officials say.