Black repeat felon charged in connection to shooting that injured National Guard soldiers in Minneapolis

[No Balls Walz]

A man possibly connected to a shooting that injured two National Guard soldiers in north Minneapolis early Sunday morning is facing federal charges in U.S. District Court.

The Minnesota U.S. Attorney's Office announced Monday that 28-year-old Andrew Thomas, of Minneapolis, has been charged with being a felon in possession of firearm.

The release from the Attorney's Office does not accuse Thomas of shooting at the National Guard soldiers, only saying that he and a boy were arrested Sunday evening in an SUV that matched the description of the one sought in connection with the shooting.

At 4:19 a.m. Sunday, shots were fired from a light-colored SUV at the corner of Penn and West Broadway avenues, according to police. One bullet went through the windshield of the military vehicle that was carrying four soldiers.

One soldier was taken to a hospital to treat injuries from shattered glass, and another was treated at the scene for superficial wounds.

Thomas and the boy were arrested in south Minneapolis late Sunday evening, near 6th Street South and Cedar Avenue South. Police made the felony stop after locating a 2002 Ford Explorer that matched the description of the vehicle involved in the drive-by shooting earlier in the day.

Officers found a semi-automatic pistol and a .22 caliber revolver in the vehicle, along with ammunition and two discharged cartridge casings.

Thomas will appear before a federal judge on Tuesday.

"I am relieved to know none of our Guardsmen were seriously injured," said Maj. Gen. Shawn Manke, Minnesota National Guard Adjutant General, in a Sunday statement. "This event highlights the volatility and tension in our communities right now. I ask for peace as we work through this difficult time."

Members of the Guard are in the Twin Cities as part Minnesota Operation Safety Net's response to civil unrest related to the police shooting death of Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center, and the Derek Chauvin murder trial, which is now in the hands of the jury.

https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/man-arrested-in-connection-to-shooting-that-injured-national-guard-soldiers-in-minneapolis

[No Balls Walz]

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Hennepin County Jail

The man accused of shooting at National Guard soldiers who'd been stationed on a Minneapolis street has been sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to three of the seven counts filed against him.

Andrew Thomas, 28, was accused of shooting at the two National Guard soldiers near Penn Avenue North and West Broadway Avenue on April 18, 2021. The soldiers were on patrol as part of Operation Safety Net, the joint law enforcement effort launched for Derek Chauvin's murder trial.

Charges against Thomas say he fired "multiple" shots at two Minneapolis squad cars and three National Guard vehicles early that morning, then sped off. Two soldiers were injured by shattering glass, including to the eye and face, the complaint said.

Thomas, on July 26, agreed to plead guilty to three felony counts, according to court records: Second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm despite a previous conviction and drive-by shooting.

The remaining charges against him were dismissed.

Two of the counts were ordered to be served consecutively, meaning Thomas will serve 96 months, a spokesperson for the Hennepin County Attorney's Office said.

Thomas, in connection with the same incident, was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm by the U.S. Attorney's Office.

https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/8-years-in-prison-for-man-charged-with-shooting-at-national-guard-on-minneapolis-street

[No Balls Walz]

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Hennepin County Jail

More charges have been filed against the man accused of shooting at Minnesota National Guard members in north Minneapolis on Sunday.

Andrew Thomas, 28, was charged earlier this week in federal court with felony weapons possession in connection to the April 18 drive-by shooting.

And on Wednesday, Thomas was charged in Hennepin County District Court with three counts of first-degree assault against a peace officer, two counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of illegal weapons possession.

Thomas, who is listed as from Minneapolis with no fixed address, was arrested and booked into Hennepin County Jail early Monday before being released to federal officials the next morning, jail records show.

Thomas is accused of shooting at the two soldiers near Penn Avenue North and West Broadway Avenue in Minneapolis while they were on patrol as part of Operation Safety Net, the joint law enforcement effort launched for Derek Chauvin's murder trial.

According to the criminal complaint, Thomas fired "multiple" shots from an SUV at two Minneapolis squad cars and three National Guard vehicles at 4:19 a.m. Sunday and then fled at a "high rate of speed" but officers were unsuccessful in their pursuit.

Two soldiers were injured, including injuries from glass fragments to the eye and cuts on the face from the glass, the complaint states.

One guard member said he believed he saw two people in the SUV and the driver was the one shooting.

Surveillance video captured the shooting and the vehicle. And later that day officers observed an SUV matching the suspect vehicle description. It was spotted at about 9:52 p.m. Sunday in the area of 6th Street South and Cedar Avenue South in Minneapolis.

Police started to follow the suspect vehicle, which then began making "evasive driving movements," charges state. Officers stopped the SUV when it turned into a parking lot at 2100 Bloomington Ave. S in Minneapolis.

There were two people inside the SUV: Thomas, who was the driver and registered owner of the SUV, and a girl, the complaint says.

The girl said she met Thomas at a motel in St. Paul the week before and they were going to get food, charges say. She didn't know he had a gun until he took it out of the center console.

Police recovered a 9mm semi-automatic handgun in a brown purse in the front passenger seat, a handgun case, a partial box of ammunition, two handgun magazines, a cell phone, a bindle of suspected drugs, and a .22 caliber revolver in the back of the vehicle, charges say. Discarded cartridges matched the semi-automatic gun and cell phone tower data placed Thomas' phone on the area of the shooting.

Thomas has a prior conviction for third-degree assault, making him prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition, the complaint states.

https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/man-suspected-of-shooting-at-national-guard-in-minneapolis-faces-more-charges