St. Paul teen charged in ghost-gun ambush of 2 13-year-olds
Jerry D'John Anthony Sanders, 18, was charged Monday with three felony counts for a Sept. 1 ambush shooting that wounded two 13-year-olds near Marion Street and Sherburne Avenue in St. Paul.[1]
A boy was shot in the lower left leg and a girl was grazed in the left calf; a third juvenile who was with them was not hurt.[1] Police said a juvenile witness identified the shooter as "Fat J" and gave officers his grandmother's address at 175 Charles Ave., a phone number and an Instagram handle that led to Sanders.[1] Investigators arrested Sanders on Sept. 3 at a Rice Street apartment and recovered two firearms, including a ghost gun with a 31-round magazine.[1] Shell casings from the scene matched a gun tied to multiple Minneapolis shootings.[1] A caller on a group phone call told investigators Sanders bragged he "came out with 31 came back in with 21" and that he chased the juveniles for about a block before firing.[1]
One victim told relatives he had been "trolling" the suspect online, and witnesses said the dispute may have involved insults about deceased relatives.[1] Prosecutors filed three counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon against Sanders in connection with the shooting.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- Jerry D'John Anthony Sanders, 18, is charged with three felony counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon in a Sept. 1 St. Paul shooting.
- Two 13-year-olds — a boy shot in the lower left leg and a girl grazed in the left calf — were wounded near Marion Street and Sherburne Avenue around 2 a.m.; a third juvenile was present but unhurt.
- A victim told relatives he had been "trolling" the suspect online, and a witness said an ongoing dispute involving insults about deceased relatives may have motivated the shooting.
- Police say a juvenile witness identified the shooter as "Fat J," gave officers his grandmother's address at 175 Charles Ave., a phone number, and an Instagram handle that led to Sanders.
- Investigators arrested Sanders Sept. 3 at a Rice Street apartment and recovered two firearms, including a ghost gun with a 31-round magazine; shell casings from the scene matched a gun tied to multiple Minneapolis shootings.
- A concerned citizen on a group phone call told investigators Sanders bragged about the shooting, saying he "came out with 31 came back in with 21" and chased the juveniles for a block before firing.
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