Teen shot dead in Target parking lot in Savage is identified; couple and son jailed

Prior Lake couple and son arrested in Friday incident and await charges.

March 5, 2020 at 1:01AM
Samuel Keezer Credit: Facebook
Samuel Keezer Credit: Facebook (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Relatives grieving the shooting death of a 16-year-old boy outside a Target store last week in Savage are remembering him as a kind and independent teenager who loved the many things that kids his age do.

Samuel A. Keezer of Burnsville was shot in the head Friday in the parking lot of the store on Hwy. 13 and died two days later at HCMC, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office announced Wednesday.

Three people from Prior Lake, a couple and their 16-year-old son, were arrested near their home on Sue Ann Lane in connection with Keezer's death, according to emergency dispatch audio reports.

The man, 44, is being held on suspicion of second-degree murder with intent, while the son is in custody on the same allegation. The woman, 43, is suspected of aiding an offender in second-degree murder after the fact.

Charges have yet to be filed, and the Star Tribune generally does not identify suspects before they are charged.

Police have yet to address a possible motive for the shooting.

"Sam had a kind heart and a beautiful soul," read Keezer's online obituary. "Sam was independent, confident, funny, and fearless. He loved listening to music, gaming, playing basketball, scary movies, YouTube, clothes, shoes, and his dog, Fred."

about the writer

about the writer

Paul Walsh

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Paul Walsh is a general assignment reporter at the Star Tribune. He wants your news tips, especially in and near Minnesota.

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