A 61-year-old man in St. Paul, Minnesota, has been charged with first-degree assault after allegedly shooting a 17-year-old boy, the son of a man he blamed for a fire that killed his own son last year. The incident occurred Tuesday afternoon in the 1500 block of Hoyt Avenue East. The victim is expected to survive after surgery for wounds to his liver, lung and ribs.
Police responded around 3:45 p.m. Tuesday to reports of a shooting at a home in the 1500 block of Hoyt Avenue East. They found the 17-year-old boy in the driver's seat of an Acura with a gunshot wound to his chest and an exit wound in his back. The boy, who screamed in pain, told officers he had been shot by an 'old guy who he didn't know.' He underwent surgery and faces at least two weeks in the hospital but is expected to recover, according to the probable cause affidavit cited by authorities. Authorities identified 61-year-old Gyaw Way as the suspect. Police say Way lured the teen and his father to the location by promising to pay a debt, then entered their Acura and fired the shot. Witnesses inside the home heard the gunshot. Way's 26-year-old son allegedly helped hide the gun in the basement afterward. Officers arrested Way inside the home; he was carrying a green bag containing 9 mm ammunition and appeared intoxicated as he lay on the couch. Speaking some English and his native Karen language, Way said 'sorry,' 'baby die' and 'no accident.' He reportedly wondered why police had been called and said he did not care about going to jail. The shooting stems from Way's belief that the victim's father caused a December fire that killed Way's son. Way had been overseas during the blaze and was the father's caregiver afterward; the victim's father has an amputated leg. Local NBC affiliate KARE reported the fire as accidental, started near a space heater. Way, who lived at the home with his son after the fire, blamed the father regardless. Way remains in Ramsey County Jail on a $200,000 bond, facing a first-degree assault charge with great bodily harm. His next court hearing is scheduled for May 13.