A 20-year-old man from Minneapolis was arrested on Tuesday, Nov. 18, after an argument with family members led to a gun being fired in the parking lot of a Shell gas station in Cass Lake, Minnesota. According to Cass County Sheriff Bryan Welk, the incident happened at around 11:16 a.m. when the sheriff’s office received calls reporting gunshots at the station located at 203 Aspen Ave. Northwest. When deputies arrived, they began gathering information to understand what had taken place.
Investigators learned that the people involved were all part of the same family, traveling together in a passenger vehicle from the Bemidji area toward the Twin Cities. While on the road, an argument broke out among the passengers. The disagreement escalated enough that the driver pulled into the Shell gas station and stopped the vehicle to let everyone step out. What started as a family dispute quickly turned into something far more serious.
As the passengers exited the vehicle, one of the family members — the 20-year-old man — allegedly pulled out a firearm and fired at an adult male relative who had also been riding in the car. The shot did not kill or seriously injure the intended target, but the bullet struck a gas pump at the station, creating a dangerous situation for everyone nearby. Gas stations are sensitive environments with fuel and flammable materials, and a gunshot hitting a pump could easily have led to a much larger disaster. Fortunately, no explosion or fire occurred.
Deputies secured the scene, made sure no one else was at risk, and continued interviewing witnesses, including those who had been in the vehicle. Because the situation involved family members, officers treated it as a domestic-related incident. Sheriff Welk later confirmed that minor injuries were reported as a result of the altercation, though none appeared to be life-threatening. The exact details of how those injuries occurred were not shared, but they were believed to be connected to the confrontation that happened before or during the shooting.
The 20-year-old Minneapolis man was taken into custody without further incident and transported to the Cass County Detention Center. Authorities said he is facing several serious charges. These include reckless discharge of a firearm, which covers firing a gun in a way that endangers others; second-degree assault, which applies when a weapon is used to threaten or harm someone; and domestic assault, since the victim was a family member. Additional charges may be added as the investigation continues.
The sheriff’s office emphasized that incidents like this highlight the dangers of conflicts escalating when firearms are involved. A disagreement that could have been resolved through communication instead turned into a criminal situation with potentially deadly consequences. Deputies also noted that shooting near a gas pump puts not only the intended target at risk, but also bystanders, gas station employees, and nearby property.
The Cass County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Itasca County Sheriff’s Office and the Leech Lake Tribal Police Department. Their cooperation helped secure the area quickly, gather evidence, and ensure that the suspect was safely detained. The investigation is still ongoing, and authorities are expected to provide updates as more details are confirmed.
This incident serves as a reminder of how quickly emotions and conflict can turn dangerous, especially in confined spaces like vehicles. Law enforcement officials continue to urge the public to seek peaceful ways to resolve disagreements and to be mindful of the serious legal consequences that come with using a weapon during a dispute.
