BRAINERD — The state filed an intent to seek aggravated sentencing against the 18-year-old Baxter man who was charged in connection with an April drive-by shooting in Brainerd.
Ayden Furlong-Mulligan appeared in Crow Wing County District Court before Judge Kristine DeMay via Zoom Thursday, May 11. Furlong-Mulligan is accused of driving the vehicle from which a passenger, Ridge Kinney, 21, Baxter, allegedly fired several shots from a handgun at a man in another vehicle April 16 on the 700 block of West College Drive in Brainerd.
On May 9, the Crow Wing County Attorney’s Office filed with the court an intent to seek an aggravated departure from the Minnesota sentencing guidelines.
“The motion for an upward aggravated durational departure will be based upon the presence of a minor child at the time of defendant's criminal conduct in this matter,” the court document said.
The victim in a car at the time of the drive-by shooting saw the passenger window of the suspect’s car roll down and a male, wearing a black ski mask, pointed a small black handgun out of the window and fired six to seven shots at him, shattering the front driver's side window.
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The victim suffered a grazing shot in the head and glass shattered into his face. A juvenile passenger also was in the victim’s car and the victim leaned over and covered the juvenile while gunshots were hitting the vehicle.
Furlong-Mulligan, along with his attorney Blake Lubinus, waived his right to a 28-day timeline as they requested his next court date. Lubinus said he was looking to have time to talk with the county attorney's office about getting his client out of jail faster.
Furlong-Mulligan’s next court appearance is set for 9:15 a.m. July 15 in Crow Wing County District Court.
Charges in drive-by shooting
Furlong-Mulligan was charged April 28 with felony premeditated aiding and abetting first-degree attempted murder, felony aiding and abetting second-degree attempted murder in a drive-by shooting, felony aiding and abetting attempted first-degree assault resulting in great bodily harm, felony aiding and abetting second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon/firearm and felony aiding and abetting a dangerous weapons crime involving a drive-by shooting.
According to the criminal complaint, on April 16 law enforcement responded to a report of a shooting incident on the 700 block of West College Drive. Officers arrived and located a vehicle parked on Southwest Eighth Street with the driver's side front window shot out, locating the victim in a residence at a nearby apartment complex.
The victim told officers he had just ended a relationship with his girlfriend, Alexis Joy Hamann, 40, of Baxter, and the two had an argument over property he left at her residence. Hamann is Furlong-Mulligan’s mother.
The victim said Hamann recently began a romantic relationship with Kinney and the victim received text messages and phone calls after the argument from Kinney wanting to “discuss things.” The victim told Kinney he would meet him on West College Drive.
When the victim turned his vehicle onto Southwest Eighth Street off College Drive, he noticed what he thought was his ex-girlfriend’s car, a 2012 Black Chevy Volt, in the parking lot. The victim said he drove up to the cul-de-sac on Southwest Eighth Street to turn around and a vehicle matching his ex-girlfriend's pulled up next to him, both facing south in the cul-de-sac and then shots were fired.
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The suspect vehicle fled the scene but the vehicle was later identified by investigators through video surveillance. The victim said he could not see who the driver of the vehicle was but did notice the passenger who fired the shots — later identified as Kinney — had several visible tattoos on his hands.
Officers located the suspect vehicle at Hamann’s residence. When officers arrived, Kinney and Furlong-Mulligan exited a back door and ran away from the residence. Officers were able to capture both Kinney and Furlong-Mulligan.
A search warrant was executed at the residence. Officers found fresh foot tracks in the snow coming from the residence to a wooded area behind the residence. Officers located two 9-millimeter handguns hidden in the wooded area where the foot tracks led them. A black ski mask was located in a bedroom of Furlong-Mulligan. It had only a single eye hole as described by the victim. The search warrant also netted over 41 pounds of THC products and criminal charges against Hamann .
While being interviewed by investigators, Furlong-Mulligan claimed he had been at a casino and arrived home between 2:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. April 16, saying he checked out of the casino and drove directly home. Furlong-Mulligan was released from custody at that time.
During the next several days, officers obtained video from the casino showing Furlong-Mulligan checking out of the casino at noon. It is a 45-minute drive from the casino to the residence, putting Furlong-Mulligan there between 12:45 p.m. and 1 p.m.
Officers learned the two firearms located behind the residence were purchased by Hamann. The smaller gun was for her and the larger gun was for Furlong-Mulligan to use in his business "selling drugs," the criminal complaint said, and he usually carried the gun with him.
According to court documents, a witness told officers they saw Kinney and Furlong-Mulligan leaving the residence in Hamann’s car around 2 p.m. on the day of the shooting. Both were dressed in black and Furlong-Mulligan had a knit cap sticking out of his pocket. The witness observed them arrive back at the residence and Furlong-Mulligan was driving the vehicle.
Kinney was charged April 18 in Crow Wing County District Court with several serious felonies — premeditated first degree attempted murder, second degree attempted murder in a drive-by shooting, first degree assault, second degree assault with a dangerous weapon, second degree assault causing substantial bodily harm and dangerous weapons violation in a drive-by shooting toward an occupied vehicle.
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Hamann and Furlong-Mulligan were arrested on drug charges on April 27, resulting from the execution of the search warrant at her residence on April 16.
TIM SPEIER, staff writer, can be reached on Twitter @timmy2thyme , call 218-855-5859 or email tim.speier@brainerddispatch.com .
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