Two people were shot in the head Jan. 4 at an apartment duplex on Juniper Street.
The victims, Joseph Kroll, 31, Brainerd, and Chelsey Crawford, 31, Brainerd, were airlifted to North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale where Kroll died as a result of the gunshot wound. Crawford underwent surgery for her injuries but survived.
North Brainerd residents hunkered down while law enforcement searched the neighborhood for the shooting suspects, who had fled the scene. Two Brainerd men were arrested for the shootings after several hours on the loose, were charged and have been going through the court system ever since.
Nathan David Becker, 27, was indicted by a grand jury Feb. 13 on first-degree aiding and abetting Tyler Allan Cronquist, 23, who was indicted on first-degree murder with premeditation and attempted first-degree murder with premeditation. Statements by Crawford to police indicated the incident was not random and the victims were known to the alleged shooters. The weapon was never recovered by law enforcement.
The murder trial for Becker was delayed to determine if he is competent to stand trial.
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Cronquist's case has not yet been scheduled for trial. A contested omnibus hearing for him is set for 1:30 p.m. Jan. 6, 2016.
Becker and Cronquist are accused of shooting Kroll and Crawford at an apartment on the 800 block of Juniper Street in Brainerd. According to the criminal complaints filed against the defendants:
• When law enforcement arrived at the apartment on Juniper Street, they found two victims, both of whom had been shot in the head. Crawford was found on the kitchen floor covered in blood and conscious. She was observed to be bleeding from the head. Crawford placed the 911 call.
• Kroll was found in the living room unconscious.
• Crawford was able to speak to officers and identified the perpetrators as Cronquist and Becker.
• Crawford stated the defendants were at the apartment with her. When Kroll walked into the apartment, the defendants began staring him down while all four were in the living room. Crawford went into the kitchen and she heard a loud noise and saw Kroll on the floor of the living room. Cronquist then walked up to Crawford and shot her in the head.
On the night of the double shooting, 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.
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JENNIFER STOCKINGER may be reached at jennifer.stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 218-855-5851. Follow me at www.twitter.com/jennewsgirl on Twitter.
