News Release
REP. O'NEILL STATEMENT ON ST. PAUL SHOOTING CHARGES
ST. PAUL, MN — Representative Marion O'Neill, R-Maple Lake, released the following statement regarding today's news that charges have been filed against two suspects in the weekend shooting in Saint Paul that injured fourteen and killed a 27 year old woman.
"Metro prosecutors and judges are putting Minnesotans in danger by failing to prosecute criminals who break the law," O'Neill said. "For years I've sat on the Public Safety Committee and listened to Democrats insist we need more gun control laws. The reality is much more simple — we need to prosecute the laws we have on the books, and make sure that when people violate state law, they are held accountable. The suspects charged in this case were both ineligible to possess firearms, and one had one year sentence in the Hennepin County workhouse stayed by a judge that let him back on the street with a slap on the wrist. These failures of our justice system are having tragic and preventable consequences. We need all judges and prosecutors to do their jobs and keep Minnesotans safe."
On August 17 of this year, one of the suspects was granted a stay by a Hennepin County Judge after time served. Had the judge upheld the one year sentence, the suspect would have still been in custody at the Hennepin County Workhouse on the night of the shooting.
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