Burnsville man charged after teen shot
(FOX 9)
BURNSVILLE, Minn. (FOX 9) - A 26-year-old man is facing charges Tuesday after a sleeping teen was struck by a stray bullet over the weekend in Burnsville.
Saturday, Burnsville police responded to the Southwind Village Apartments around 4 a.m. for the report of a shooting. At the scene, officers found a teenage girl who said she was shot while she was sleeping.
Officers said they determined the bullet had been fired in a neighboring apartment unit.
Tuesday, the Dakota County Attorney announced charges against 26-year-old Riccardo Rashad Harvey for reckless discharge of a firearm. Prosecutors say the bullet had pierced the ceiling directly above the bed where the teen was sleeping and ended up lodged in the floor of the teen's bedroom.
Inside Harvey's apartment, police found two handgun magazines in Harvey's bedroom, with one missing a single round. Officers determined the bullet's trajectory appeared to come from Harvey's bedroom.
Harvey ultimately admitted to owning three guns: a handgun, a Remington shotgun, and an AK-47-style rifle.
On Saturday, police initially said the teen suffered a graze wound. However, the criminal charges filed Tuesday say the victim suffered a "through and through" gunshot wound to the arm. Thankfully, the teen is expected to recover.
"Mr. Harvey’s extreme negligence could have led to more serious injury of the victim or others," wrote Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena in a provided statement. "The situation certainly could have been catastrophic."
Harvey's bail was set at $100,000 without conditions, or $20,000 with conditions, pending a court appearance scheduled for April 16.