A grand jury has indicted two Brainerd men, Tyler Allan Cronquist and Nathan David Becker in connection with in the Jan. 4 shootings of two people at an apartment on the 800 block of Juniper Street in Brainerd.
Cronquist, 23, and Becker, 26 - each wearing a Crow Wing County Jail-issued navy blue jumpsuit and their hands shackled at their waist - appeared separately Friday to be arraigned on the new, more serious charges before Judge Earl Maus in Crow Wing District Court.
Cronquist was indicted with first-degree murder with premeditation and attempted first-degree murder with premeditation; Becker was charged with first-degree aiding and abetting Cronquist on both counts.
The original eight second-degree felony charges against the two men were dismissed.
The shootings were reported shortly after 5 p.m. Jan. 4 at an apartment on the 800 block of Juniper Street in Brainerd.
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The victims were Joseph Kroll, 31, Brainerd, and Chelsey Crawford, 31, Brainerd. The victims were airlifted to North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale, where Kroll died as a result of a gunshot wound to the head. Crawford, who also suffered a gunshot wound to the head, underwent surgery for her injuries.
Cronquist and Becker fled the scene and law enforcement conducted a search to locate them.
Becker was taken into custody after police located him in a vehicle about 10 p.m. Jan. 4 outside the SuperAmerica Station on South Sixth Street in Brainerd. At about 11 p.m. Jan. 4, Cronquist turned himself in to police. Both were arrested without incident, police said.
Brainerd Police Chief Corky McQuiston said police continue to search for the handgun used in the shootings.
JENNIFER STOCKINGER may be reached at jennifer.stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5851. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jennewsgirl .
