GROVE CITY

Student, 18, arrested after shooting threats made at central Minnesota school

Dale Morin — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 21:30:00 GMT

PAYNESVILLE, Minn. — An 18-year-old Paynesville Area High �� student was arrested after police say he talked about “shooting up” the school and named three staff members and a student as targets.

Matthew Paul Herr-Ramirez was arrested Monday, Oct. 17, at his home in Grove City, Minnesota, according to the criminal complaint filed in Stearns County District Court. He is charged with five counts of felony threats of violence.

He made his first court appearance Wednesday morning, Oct. 19. He was assigned a public defender, and his next appearance is an omnibus hearing scheduled for Nov. 2.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Herr-Ramirez remained in custody in the Stearns County Jail on $200,000 bail without conditions and $100,000 bail with conditions, including staying a reasonable distance from the school.

According to the criminal complaint, Paynesville police officers responded Monday evening to a complaint of a threat made earlier in the day at Paynesville High ��.

Officers spoke with several students who heard the suspect make threats about shooting people at school, according to the criminal complaint, and interviewed three teenage witnesses who reported that Herr-Ramirez had talked about individuals he was going to shoot at school and when he was going to do it. He had also made threats on Oct. 14, according to the complaint.

Two of the witnesses told law enforcement that Herr-Ramirez also allegedly showed them and others pictures of a pistol on his cellphone and named two staff members he wanted to shoot. The other witness also alleged that Herr-Ramirez said he would continue shooting random students and staff after shooting the individuals he specifically named.

According to the complaint, law enforcement found an airsoft gun — a type of pellet gun — on Herr-Ramirez when he was arrested.

A message left for the superintendent of the Paynesville Area �� District was not immediately returned.

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Hutchinson man sentenced to 15 years for rural Grove City shooting death

Mark Wasson — Tue, 28 Sep 2021 21:00:00 GMT

HUTCHINSON, Minn. — A Hutchinson man was sentenced Monday, Sept. 27, to 180 months, or 15 years, in prison for the February shooting death of a rural Grove City, Minnesota, man.

As part of a plea agreement, Christian James Brown, 23, agreed to plead guilty to a felony charge of second-degree unintentional murder.

District Court Judge Stephanie L. Beckman credited Brown with 210 days served and ordered him to provide a DNA sample when directed. Brown was also ordered to pay $140 in fees and fines.

Two felony second-degree assault charges were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

His co-defendant, Byron James Jackson, 23, of Hutchinson, agreed to plead guilty to a felony charge of aiding an offender after the fact of an unintentional murder and will serve 180 months in prison for his role in the death.

Jackson was initially charged with three felonies — first-degree assault and two counts of second-degree assault — in connection with assaults prior to the shooting. Two additional felony charges were added in July: aiding second-degree murder and the aiding an offender charge to which he pleaded guilty last week.

The four other felony charges will be dismissed at sentencing, scheduled for Dec. 20.

During his July 30 plea hearing, Brown admitted to shooting Devon Remmel, 42, during a scuffle after an apparent botched drug deal. Remmel's brother was injured in the altercation.

Brown testified previously in front of Beckman that when he fired the gun he intended to kill Remmel.

In May, the handgun used to kill Remmel was found by a Forest City Township farmer. The firearm, a Kimber model Stainless II .45-caliber automatic pistol, was owned by Brown.

In June, testing by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension confirmed that the bullet that killed Remmel was fired from the handgun owned by Brown.

According to court documents, Brown and Jackson arrived at a residence Feb. 26 in Acton Township to buy cocaine for a party when an argument and physical altercation ensued involving an unnamed victim and Remmel's brother, who lives at the residence about 2 miles south of Grove City.

Jackson punched Remmel's brother during the altercation, causing him to fall to the ground injuring his shoulder.

Both Brown and Jackson brandished semi-automatic pistols and threatened the lives of both the other men before leaving the house, according to the documents.

The unnamed victim attempted to bring Remmel's brother to the hospital but was blocked by Brown and Jackson's vehicle which was itself blocked by Remmel's vehicle when he arrived at the residence.

Remmel and Jackson were engaged in an altercation when Remmel's brother left his vehicle and Jackson attacked him, knocking Remmel's brother to the ground.

At this point, Brown shot Remmel in the head, according to Brown's testimony during his plea hearing.

Brown and Jackson located the spent cartridge and left the scene.

When Meeker County Sheriff's Office deputies arrived on scene, they attempted CPR on Remmel but he was pronounced deceased around 11:15 p.m. Feb. 26, about 30 minutes after the original 911 call was placed.

Remmel's brother was taken to a local medical facility by ambulance late that night and was diagnosed with a dislocated shoulder and a broken bone.

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Drug deal gone bad led to Meeker County man's death, court documents say

Mark Wasson — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 21:53:03 GMT

HUTCHINSON, Minn. — Two men made first appearances Tuesday, March 2, in Meeker County District Court to face charges in connection with an apparent drug deal gone bad that led to a man's death Friday night, Feb. 26.

According to court documents, Christian Brown, 23, of Hutchinson, Minn., was charged with felony second-degree murder and two charges of felony second-degree assault for events surrounding the death of Devon Remmel, 42, of rural Grove City, Minn.

Another man, Byron Jackson, 23, of Hutchinson, Minn., is charged with felony first-degree assault and two counts of felony second-degree assault in connection with the incident.

According to court documents, Brown and Jackson arrived at a residence in Acton Township to buy cocaine for a party when an argument ensued, leading to Jackson assaulting and injuring an unnamed victim before both Brown and Jackson brandished semi-automatic pistols and threatened the lives of the unnamed victim and another man present at the residence, before leaving the house.

Another confrontation in the driveway of the residence led to Brown shooting Remmel in the face, who had arrived at the residence.

When deputies arrived on scene, they attempted CPR on Remmel but he was pronounced dead around 11:15 p.m., about 30 minutes after the original 911 call was placed.

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Suspect arrested in connection with shooting death near Grove City

Mark Wasson — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 22:19:15 GMT

GROVE CITY, Minn. — A Hutchinson, Minn., man has been arrested in connection with a Friday night, Feb. 26, shooting death in Meeker County, according to a news release from the Meeker County Sheriff's Office.

According to the release, a 23-year-old man is being held in the Meeker County Jail for first-degree assault pending formal charges for his alleged involvement in the death of Devon Remmel, 42, of rural Grove City.

According to investigators, Remmel was involved in a confrontation among multiple individuals at a residence where Remmel was shot and later died at the scene.

Remmel's death was ruled a homicide by the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office.

A search warrant was executed by law enforcement Sunday on the 700 block of Main Street in Hutchinson where the suspect was arrested.

The investigation is active and ongoing.

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UPDATED: Minnesota man killed in three-vehicle crash

Carolyn Lange — Thu, 04 Feb 2021 19:27:25 GMT

ALBANY — Thomas Weyde Leaf, 60, of Grove City, has been identified as the man killed in a three-vehicle accident early Thursday morning near Albany.

The accident was reported just after midnight on Interstate 94 in Stearns County.

According to the State Patrol accident report, a 2003 Grand Prix driven by Leaf was going west in the eastbound lane of Interstate 94 when it collided with a semi and then a 2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer.

The driver of the Trailblazer, Derek Joseph Ritter, 17, of Avon, was taken to the St. Cloud Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The driver of the 2005 Volvo semi, Komalpreet Preet Singh, 29, of Brampton, Ontario, Canada, and a 60-year old passenger, were not injured.

The accident report indicates that the Grand Prix was traveling west in the eastbound lanes on I-94, and while traveling the wrong way in the left lane, it crossed the centerline and struck the Volvo, which was traveling east in the right hand lane. The Grand Prix then struck the Trailblazer, which was going east in the left lane.

All three drivers were wearing seat belts. For Leaf, the report says alcohol was involved. Roads were wet at the time of the crash.

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Minnesota father pleads guilty to gun, drug charges after his son shot his daughter in murder-suicide

Shelby Lindrud — Tue, 01 Aug 2017 01:18:18 GMT

LITCHFIELD, Minn. - The father of two Grove City teens killed in a murder-suicide last year has pleaded guilty to two felony charges stemming from the discovery of guns and drugs during the death investigation where his son shot his daughter.

Thomas Jon Cunningham, 53, pleaded guilty Monday in Meeker County District Court to receiving or possessing a firearm not identified by a serial number and to fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance.

The remaining charges of felony child endangerment, gross misdemeanor negligent storage of firearms and misdemeanor obstruction of the legal process will be dismissed at sentencing under terms of a plea agreement.

Cunningham's two children, David Lee Cunningham, 17, and Jessica Kay Cunningham, 15, were found dead by gunshot wounds at the family home in Harvey Township on Feb. 29, 2016. Authorities later determined that David shot and killed his sister and a family dog before turning the gun on himself.

According to statement of probable cause written by law enforcement regarding the incident, Thomas Cunningham found his children deceased at the home, but first removed from the residence around eight pounds of marijuana, marijuana plants and seeds and other marijuana paraphernalia before calling 911, after being prompted to do so by another individual.

When law enforcement searched the property after obtaining a search warrant, they found 20 guns and multiple boxes of ammunition in the home, a pickup truck and a pole shed. The guns and ammunition were unlocked and accessible. Seventeen of those guns were found in the bedroom of David Cunningham.

Marijuana and the related paraphernalia were located behind the property, in and around a slough about a half mile from the house.

The law enforcement report also said Thomas Cunningham encouraged and allowed both teenagers to use and possess marijuana, and allowed access to the firearms and ammunition.

Judge Stephanie Beckman ordered a presentence investigation and a chemical dependency evaluation of Thomas Cunningham before his sentencing Sept. 28.

He is expected to receive a stay of imposition and be sentenced to five years of probation under terms of the plea agreement.

Under a stay of imposition, the felony convictions may be reduced to misdemeanors on his criminal record if he successfully completes probation.

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After murder-suicide, Minn. man faces child neglect, obstruction charges

Gretchen Brown — Mon, 27 Feb 2017 20:44:07 GMT

LITCHFIELD, Minn. - A Grove City man is facing five charges, including child neglect and obstruction, for behavior before and after the murder-suicide deaths of his children nearly one year ago.

Meeker County authorities say Thomas Jon Cunningham, 52, removed 8 pounds of marijuana, plus marijuana plants and paraphernalia from the home before calling 911. They were discovered the next day, dumped behind the property.

According to charges filed Friday, Feb. 24, responding officers discovered 20 guns and multiple boxes of ammunition in the home, a pickup truck and a pole shed on the property.

They say 17 of those guns were discovered in the bedroom of 17-year-old David, who shot his sister, Jessica, 15, and the family dog before shooting himself the afternoon of Feb. 29, 2016.

Authorities said they found a McDonald’s receipt near the marijuana dumped on the property, which they say puts Cunningham’s story in a different time frame than initially described, according to the criminal complaint.

Grove City is about 50 miles southwest of St. Cloud.

Originally, Cunningham told police he arrived home from a quick trip to McDonald’s for lunch around 2:30 p.m. to find his two children and the family dog dead. He had said that he called 911 after another person arrived at the residence.

But the McDonald’s receipt had a time stamp of 1:07 p.m., which surveillance footage reportedly confirmed, according to a criminal complaint.

Law enforcement said they believe Cunningham arrived home to find his son and dog dead outside, then entered the home, took off his shoes, and found his daughter dead upstairs.

They allege he then removed all of the marijuana and paraphernalia from the residence. While doing so, they believe, he stepped on a mason jar in the basement, cutting his foot. He allegedly loaded the drugs in his pickup truck, and dumped it behind his property.

Law enforcement discovered bloody circle tracks throughout the home during the investigation, which they believe were from Cunningham’s cut foot.

Another person arrived at the home, and Cunningham called police around 2:30 p.m., according to the criminal complaint.

In a news release issued several days after the Feb. 29, 2016, shooting, Meeker County Sheriff Brian Cruze had said there was no known motive for the shooting.

David Cunningham had been a student at Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City. He was home Feb. 29 because ACGC does not have school on Mondays. His sister, Jessica, was a former ACGC student, but the Sheriff’s Office had said that she had been schooling online at home.

The allegations in the criminal complaint against Thomas Cunningham say he took his daughter to one mental health-related counseling session. But he allegedly told her not to talk about her suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and allegedly gave both children marijuana.

They also allege Cunningham’s son had previously killed a different family dog, had shot the ceiling of the home and pointed a firearm at another person, but was still allowed access to all of the firearms on the property.

Other charges filed Friday against Cunningham include removal of a firearm serial number, fifth-degree drug possession and negligent storage of firearms.

He is not in custody. He is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges March 14.

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Grove City man accused of assault, ramming vehicle

Forum News Service — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 00:14:43 GMT

GROVE CITY - A Grove City man faces assault and property damage charges for allegedly assaulting a man Tuesday along U.S. Highway 12 near Grove City.

According to the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office, William Richard Dugan, 57, parked his vehicle across the driving lanes of the highway, trying to stop traffic so he could look for his dogs. The incident was reported around 2:35 p.m. by several 911 callers.

Several vehicles drove on the shoulder around Dugan’s vehicle. A 53-year-old Clara City man drove around Dugan’s vehicle and there was contact between the vehicles. Dugan left his vehicle and tried to strike the man with a 2-by-4 piece of lumber, authorities said.

The men struggled over control of the lumber and the Clara City man broke free and retreated, along with a passenger in his vehicle, behind another vehicle.

The sheriff’s office said Dugan got back into his vehicle and rammed the Clary City man’s car, then drove toward the man and his wife and tried to strike them with the vehicle.

The couple moved out of the way and avoided being struck.

Dugan was being held in the Meeker County Jail.

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