Minnesota man faces murder charge in shooting of neighbor over lake access

A 42-year-old Chisago County man has been charged with murder in the shooting death of his longtime neighbor after the two argued over access to a lake north of the Twin Cities.

Carl P. Anderson of Lindstrom was charged Friday in Chisago County District Court with second-degree murder in the death of Donn Allan Johnson, 62, about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday on Lindo Trail, just off Sunrise Lake in North Chisago Lake Township.

According to the criminal complaint, Anderson shot Johnson in the chest with a 9mm pistol after Johnson made a threatening statement and approached Anderson as Anderson was seated in his truck.

Anderson and Johnson both lived near the spot where the shooting occurred. Sheriff Rick Duncan said that Johnson was killed "right in the middle of the road."

Deputies were called to the scene by Anderson, saw a body sprawled in the road and began discussing where the victim might have been wounded. At that point, Anderson told them, "No, I shot him in the chest," according to the criminal complaint.

The complaint stated that earlier in the day, Anderson had given permission to several people to fish from his mother's property on Sunrise Lake.

About noon, he said, he stopped at a bait shop in Chisago City to buy decals for his all-terrain vehicle, or ATV. An employee there told him that Johnson had called the store to complain about people parking on his land at Sunrise Lake. The employee asked Anderson to go to the lake and tell people to move their trucks.

Anderson drove to the lake, where he saw Johnson on an ATV talking with a man near one of the parked trucks. At some point, he told police, Johnson pulled his ATV perpendicular to Anderson's truck and motioned for Anderson to roll down his window.

Johnson appeared upset, according to the complaint. He accused Anderson of stealing a ladder "and made a threatening statement."

When Johnson got off his ATV and walked toward Anderson's truck, Anderson shot him in the chest. Anderson then called 911 to report that he had shot someone.

Anderson was released on bail Friday from the Chisago County Jail.

John Reinan • 612-673-7402