Minneapolis teens charged in shooting outside Brooklyn Center Foot Locker

Two Minneapolis teens were charged Friday with a shooting over a pair of Air Jordan shoes outside a Brooklyn Center Kids Foot Locker.

According to charges filed in Hennepin County District Court, Gary Lamar Townsend, 17, shot a man in the stomach in a fight over a pair of shoes. Townsend was charged with attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault and second-degree assault.

Daniel James Hart, 17, who allegedly tried to help Townsend get away, was charged with aiding and abetting attempted second-degree murder and second-degree assault charges.

Prosecutors filed motions to have both certified as adults, according to the release.

Police were called to the Kids Foot Locker store on Shingle Creek Parkway at 9:40 a.m. Sunday on a report of people with weapons, according to the juvenile petition. A new Air Jordan shoe was going on sale, so there were people waiting in line, but police didn't see any guns, so they returned to the parking and watched.

Before leaving, officers heard about a dozen gunshots in front of the store.

The victim was shot in the liver, kidney and arm. He's still in the hospital, according to the petition.

A witness told police he was with the victim when Townsend started fighting the victim over the shoes. Townsend pulled out a gun and shot the victim, at which point the witness pulled out his own gun and shot Townsend in the leg, according to the petition. The witness has a permit to carry, prosecutors said. Police saw Hart helping Townsend move away from the shooting, but Hart fled while Townsend waited for an ambulance to arrive, according to the news release.

Zoe Peterson is a University of Minnesota student on assignment for the Star Tribune.