Police ID man shot dead in Plymouth home; ex-prosecutor from New Mexico jailed

A man was shot to death in a home in Plymouth, and the suspected gunman was arrested at the scene, authorities said Monday.

The shooting occurred shortly after 11 p.m. Sunday at a residence in the 3100 block of Walnut Grove Lane, police said.

Officers called to the home were met at the front door by the suspect. The Hennepin County jail log identifies him as a 44-year-old man from Albuquerque, N.M.

The suspect worked as a prosecutor in Albuquerque for Bernalillo County from 2008-11 before becoming a defense attorney, the man's father told the Star Tribune. The Star Tribune generally does not identify suspects unless they are charged.

The suspect's former wife said he came to Minnesota a few weeks ago for outpatient treatment for substance addiction and was staying with a woman, who is also an attorney and someone he had met at a rehabilitation facility in Arizona.

The 42-year-old victim, identified by police in court documents Tuesday as Aaron W. Johnson, was located in an upstairs bedroom and was conscious and breathing, according to emergency dispatch audio. He was taken by ambulance to North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale and died there from a gunshot to the torso, the court documents said.

A neighbor said Johnson had been staying at the home until the woman who lives there ended the relationship and kicked him out.

The neighbor, who asked for anonymity out of concern for his safety, said police have been called to the home more than 30 times in the past couple of years "at all hours of the night."

The neighbor added that he would at times see Johnson banging on the woman's door trying to get in, and Johnson would apologize to him for making so much noise.

Authorities say the gunman is cooperating with the investigation. They have not revealed a possible motive for the killing or the shooter's identity.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482