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Inset: Gyaw Way (Ramsey County Sheriff”s Office). Background: The 1500 block of Hoyt Avenue East in St. Paul, Minnesota, where Way allegedly shot a teen boy (KARE).
A 61-year-old man from Minnesota is accused of shooting a teenager, seemingly in retaliation for a tragic fire last year that claimed his own son’s life. After the incident, the suspect reportedly proceeded to relax on a couch, appearing unfazed by the gravity of the situation.
The man, identified as Gyaw Way, has been charged with first-degree assault resulting in severe bodily harm. According to an arrest affidavit, police were called to a residence on the 1500 block of Hoyt Avenue East in St. Paul around 3:45 p.m. Tuesday. Upon arrival, they discovered a 17-year-old male in the driver’s seat of an Acura, suffering from a gunshot wound to his chest, with the bullet exiting through his back.
The injured teen reportedly “screamed in pain” and described the shooter as an “old guy he didn’t know.” Authorities revealed that the bullet struck the victim’s liver and lung, also fracturing his ribs. Although he is expected to recover, he will require a hospital stay of at least two weeks.
Investigators found that Way entered the home post-shooting, where his 26-year-old son allegedly assisted in concealing the firearm in the basement. At the time of his arrest, Way was in possession of a green bag containing a box of 9 mm ammunition, according to police reports.
Way, who communicated primarily in Karen—a language spoken in regions along the Thailand-Myanmar border—did utter a few words in English, allegedly including “sorry,” “baby die,” and “no accident.” Residents of the home shared with authorities that Way and his son had been staying there following a fire that resulted in his son’s death, which occurred while Way was abroad.
Way had apparently lured the victim and his father to the home under the guise that he would pay a debt, cops wrote. When the victim and his dad arrived, Way entered the Acura with them, cops wrote. That’s when Way allegedly shot the teen. The people inside the home heard the gunshot.
“Way was intoxicated, and he returned to the home and lay on the couch,” the affidavit stated. “Way made a comment wondering why they called police, and Way said he didn’t care that he was going to jail.”
The father of the victim said he has an amputated leg and Way was his caregiver. Way apparently blamed the victim’s father for the fire.
According to local NBC affiliate KARE, the December fire was accidental and started near a space heater.
Way remains in the Ramsey County Jail on a $200,000 bond. His next hearing is set for May 13.