At about 9:28 a.m. Tuesday, March 8, the Avon Police Department responded to a gunshot call in the 300 Block of Char Avenue N.E. in the City of Avon. The initial call to the Stearns County Emergency Communications Center was that a male had reported he had been shot in the chest. The male victim was further reported to be conscious and breathing.
The Avon Police Department responded to the scene and was assisted by the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office, the Central Minnesota Violent Offenders Task Force, the Minnesota State Patrol, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Enforcement Division, the St. Joseph Police Department, Belgrade Police Department, Albany Police Department, and Cold Spring-Richmond Police Department. The Avon Fire Department, Mayo Ambulance Service, and North Air Care Helicopter also responded the scene.
During the initial portion of the call, the Avon Elementary School was placed into lockdown for a short period of time.
The 18-year-old victim was flown to North Memorial Hospital for treatment of the gunshot wound. As of Thursday morning, March 10, his condition was listed as “stable.”
A criminal complaint has been signed charging Grant Alexander Monaghan, 20 of St. Cloud, with Aiding and Abetting first-degree robbery involving a dangerous weapon, and aiding and abetting -second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon.
The investigation is active and ongoing. The Avon Police Department and Stearns County Sheriff’s Office have identified the passenger in Monaghan’s vehicle – and the individual alleged to have fired the shot injuring the victim – as Emmanuel Galen Johnson, 21 of St. Cloud. His whereabouts are currently unknown (as of press time).
Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to call the Avon Police Department at (320) 356-7575 or the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office at (320) 251-4240.
The Avon Police Department is currently investigating the incident and is being assisted by the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office Investigative Division.