A man allegedly fired shots into the sky, shot a car and pointed a gun at a woman holding an infant while terrorizing residents of St. Anne’s Place, a 54-person shelter for homeless families in north Minneapolis last month, according to charges filed Thursday.
Travin Willie Merritt, 30, of Minneapolis was charged with four counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and one count each of second-degree riot with a dangerous weapon, reckless discharge of a firearm and carrying a pistol without a permit in connection with the attack.
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office filed the charges two weeks after it dropped charges against another man, who had been incorrectly identified by the Minneapolis Police Department.
Eureka D. Riser, 33, of Minneapolis was also charged with two felonies in connection with the attack, which occurred on Sept. 5 at 2634 Russell Av. N.
Merritt, who told police that Riser is his sister, did not have an attorney listed for him.
The homeless shelter was evacuated and boarded with plywood after the attack. Residents still have not returned.
People Serving People CEO Hoang Murphy said his organization, which operates St. Anne’s Place, hadn’t been notified of the charges or that Merritt was arrested on Oct. 1. The shelter’s residents initially were moved to a hotel, at a cost of $9,000 per night, and then to a downtown shelter. That meant several beds at that facility were not available for others in need, Murphy said.
“We’re not going to return families until it’s safe to do so, so this is one step towards that,” he said. “This is what families and staff were asking for: that the folks who did this harm, that it was addressed and it was demonstrated that even if you’re a homeless person, or staying at a homeless shelter, even if you live in north [Minneapolis], justice will still be provided for you.”