A heavily armed man shot and killed a 9-year-old passenger in a passing vehicle. The shooting took place on Feb. 11, 2013. According to authorities, a Minneapolis, man is accused of standing in the street and opening fire on passing cars.
Reportedly the man was armed with 200 rounds of ammunition stuffed into his jacket pocket, a backpack and the fanny pack he was wearing at the time of his arrest, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Nhan Lap Tran, 34, was arraigned in court, on Feb. 13, charged with one count of second-degree intentional murder and one count of second-degree murder during an assault. He also faces charges of attempted murder and assault. Bail was set at $2 million.
The critically wounded 9-year-old boy, Devin Aryal, died at the scene. The child's mother, 39-year-old Melissa Aryal, was shot in the arm. Two other motorists managed to escape the gunman's target.
According to the complaint and in an interview, Melissa Aryal said "she was driving Monday evening when she saw a man on foot shooting at her minivan. She realized she was shot and, while injured, drove to the parking lot of a nearby Rainbow Foods."
Gunman, Tran confessed to the shooting without giving a cause or explanation. Tran is ordered to undergo a mental health assessment and reportedly had no prior criminal record.
Washington County Attorney Pete Orput, struggled to comprehend any conceivable motive for the shooting. "This case is simply a senseless tragedy," Orput said.
A witness told The Associated Press that the gunman appeared calm as he walked down the block, firing his weapon. "He was nonchalant," said Cheryl Russell, a neighbor who saw the shooting. "Just walking like he was out for a stroll. It was crazy."
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