Man charged in death of shopper in Burnsville Dollar Tree
Prosecutors have charged a South St. Paul man with murder following a shooting Monday afternoon at a Burnsville Dollar Tree store that left one man dead and another seriously wounded.
Grant David Hendrickson, 27, is facing five felony counts, including second degree murder and attempted first degree murder.
Assistant Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena said Hendrickson went to the store to confront an employee for telling Hendrickson's girlfriend about a past sex offense. Court records show that in 2010, Hendrickson was convicted of criminal sexual conduct with a person under 13.
Keena said Hendrickson was escorted out of the store following a fight with the employee, returned a short time later, and opened fire with a 9mm handgun. Prosecutors allege he shot and killed Donald Joseph Hortsch, 69, of Rosemount.
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"Donald Hortsch, who died from a gunshot wound to his head, was not an intended victim," Keena said. "He just was in the store and was in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Prosecutors said Hendrickson also shot an unidentified 26-year-old man in his right leg and upper abdomen. The man is expected to survive.
According to the criminal complaint, the man underwent emergency surgery and "will be a paraplegic as the result of the injuries he sustained."
Burnsville police arrested Hendrickson shortly after the incident. Keena said officers recovered a 9mm handgun in a dumpster near the store.
She said Hendrickson's next court appearance is Nov. 22, and prosecutors may ask a grand jury to consider first degree premeditated murder charges in Hortsch's death.