A crazed gunman, who fired at vehicles along side of the road near an Oakdale, Minn. supermarket on Feb. 11, shot an innocent 9-year-old. The boy, who was in the car on his way home from daycare, died at the hospital.
After being picked up from daycare, Devin Aryal, 9, was shot dead in a car with his mother, Melissa Aryal on Feb. 11. She was also wounded in the middle of the shooting spree. Nhan Lap Tran, 34 allegedly fired at random vehicles along side of a road with a handgun.
“It all happened really fast,” Melissa told the Pioneer Press. She said that she pulled over when she saw she was bleeding from a wound in her arm. She then saw little Devin slumped over in his seat. “Just hearing his breath, I had hope,” she added. The shooter also managed to burst their car’s tires.
Melissa drove to the nearby supermarket Rainbow Foods and screamed for help, according to witnesses. They were rushed to Regions Hospital in St. Paul where Devin was pronounced dead. There was a second female driver, who was also wounded in the hand. Melissa and this woman are expected to recover.
Why Alleged Shooter Nhan Lap Tran Went On Shooting Spree
Police Chief Bill Sullivan held a news conference on Feb. 12. According to Chief Sullivan, Tran doesn’t have a criminal record. “He was shooting the vehicles randomly,” Chief Sullivan said about the shooter, and added there is no known motivation for the violent crime.
Chief Sullivan said that Nhan legally owned the handgun he fired, according to the Huffington Post, and the authorities are not aware of any mental illness he may have.
“It’s sick,” Oakdale Mayor, Carmen Sarrack told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. “What can you say when a 9-year-old or 10-year-old is killed? People are devastated that this could happen in our city.”
According to Huffington Post, Sullivan said Nhan was arrested on Feb. 11 after police responded to the scene on a report of a shooting. It was also reported that the alleged shooter was arrested about a half-mile away from where the shooting started. He was in custody on Feb. 12 for allegedly committing second-degree murder and first-degree assault.
So sad. Our thoughts are with Devin’s family during this difficult time.
– Nicole Weaver
More Recent Gun Deaths:
Laurie
Posted at 5:29 PM on February 16, 2013
I do my research, Tiffany. I live 60 miles from where this happened. These people are a horrible problem in this area – so much mental illness – Hmong especially. I work in a mental hospital, so I know what I am talking about. They think nothing about killing other people, like they were hunting animals or something. I agree that all people from all nations commit horrible crime, but a bigger percentage of Hmong and Vietnamese have mental problems and lash out in this manner. Did you know that about this area??? Did you do your research, Tiffany???? Maybe you should before you speak/type!!