A second person has been charged in connection with an attack on St. Anne’s Place, a shelter for unhoused families in Minneapolis in September.
30-year old Travin Merritt is facing four counts of second degree assault, one count of second degree riot, and one count of carrying a firearm without a permit for his role in an attack outside the shelter.
The victims told police that they had gotten into a fight with another group of women about moving a car, during which time they say Merritt allegedly intervened and hit one of the women in the face and back of the head with a handgun.
The women ran back to the shelter where surveillance video shows Merritt pointing a gun at the entrance. Merritt then allegedly walked to the vehicle of one of the victims and shot at the unoccupied car.
Charges against the person Minneapolis Police initially arrested in September were eventually dropped after the man was misidentified.
The shelter's doors and windows, along with a vehicle belonging to a resident of the shelter, were damaged during the incident. St. Anne's is an emergency shelter that provides private family bedrooms for up to 16 families each night.
"The attack on our colleagues and the families staying at St. Anne’s Place was shocking and painful," wrote Hoang Muphy who is the CEO of St. Anne's. "I want to commend the SAP staff for their courage and commitment to families. Their quick action prevented further harm and trauma to our families. The dedication they showed cannot be overstated; it was a testament to their moral compass and personal commitment to those we serve."