A second suspected gunman has been charged in the February shooting of a teen at a birthday party in St. Paul’s Hamline-Midway area, which resulted in a riot involving dozens of people.
In connection with the Feb. 5 gunshot that injured a 15-year-old child at a rental hall along Snelling Avenue, Charlie Pryor Jr., 18, of St. Paul, faces charges of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and aiding and abetting second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon.
A 15-year-old kid, Pryor’s cousin, pled guilty to second-degree assault with a deadly weapon in April. His disposition, which is the equivalent of sentence in juvenile court, is set for June 22.
Pryor, who was arrested on May 26, appeared in Ramsey County District Court for the first time on Tuesday. He was still being held in jail on Wednesday in lieu of $50,000 bail.
Multiple 911 calls were made at 9:45 p.m. about gunfire at the rental hall at 570 Snelling Ave., according to Pryor’s criminal complaint. Officers arrived to find a chaotic scene with a large number of young people both outside and inside the venue.
According to police, several people were fighting outside, and the throng inside was yelling at authorities. The shooting victim was discovered in the hall with a gunshot wound to his leg. He was rushed to the hospital for treatment.
Officers discovered gunshot holes in the hall’s front door and damaged glass. They discovered 14 bullet casings from at least two different firearms.
Once the youngster was allowed to speak with cops, he stated that numerous individuals were barred from entering the hall. He then heard gunshots and felt agony in his leg, he claimed.
Officers met with the company owner, who informed them that the space had been hired for a birthday celebration for a 16-year-old girl. He said that roughly ten teenagers had been sent away from the party because they were carrying firearms. He claimed that one of them grew agitated at first, but then calmed down.
According to the company owner, the situation was exacerbated by a second juvenile. According to the lawsuit, he said that security took them both outside and that gunfire began almost immediately.
One of the shooters was recognized by many witnesses as “CJ,” and police have taken down his Facebook profile. According to the criminal complaint, “CJ” was identified as Pryor, and his companion was his 15-year-old cousin, who is identified in the criminal complaint by his initials, KKP.
According to the lawsuit, the shop owner identified Pryor and his cousin as shooters in photo lineups.
Pryor and KKP are shown on surveillance video becoming agitated inside the hall before being pushed outside by the company owner and others. According to the lawsuit, KKP then fires numerous bullets into the establishment as Pryor shouts, lifts a pistol, backs out of the frame, and “presumably” fires a shot.
According to the complaint, two puffs of glass blasted out of the hall, possibly indicating that someone was firing back. As Pryor and KKP flee, Pryor turns around and fires at least one, if not two, rounds into the hall. At the time, there were between 30 and 40 persons on the main floor, with many more in the basement.
In mid-March, KKP was apprehended. He originally denied knowing anything about the shooting in an interview with police before admitting he was at the party with Pryor. He admitted to being intoxicated on drugs and booze.
“I don’t know if I was firing to just get people off me or if I was shooting at a specific individual,” KKP replied when shown photographs of himself shooting, according to the lawsuit. He denied bringing a pistol to the party and said he had no idea how he got his hands on one.
Pryor told officers after his detention that he had no recollection of the shooting and that he “blacks out regularly,” according to the complaint.
