2nd person charged in attack against St. Anne’s Place

A second person has been charged in connection with an attack on St. Anne’s Place, a shelter for unhoused families in Minneapolis, on Sept. 5, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced.

Travin Willie Merritt, 30, faces four counts of second-degree assault, one count of second-degree riot and one count of carrying a firearm without a permit.

As previously reported, Minneapolis police were called to the shelter on a report of a disturbance on Sept. 5.

Surveillance video showed shelter residents running into the shelter shortly before Merritt pointed a gun at the front door. Court officials say two people, one of whom was carrying an infant, were on the other side of the door.

Merritt also shot at an unoccupied car owned by one of the victims.

One of the victims told police she and another victim got into an altercation with a group of women across the street. Merritt then hit two victims in the head with a gun and fired two more shots into the air.

The group of women then chased the victims into the shelter and Merritt threatened to shoot women and children.

He was arrested Tuesday and remains in custody on a separate case.

Hoang Murphy, the CEO of People Serving People, which runs St. Anne’s Place, released the following statement regarding the arrest:

“We are relieved that the second suspect in the attack on the families and staff at St. Anne’s Place shelter has been arrested. It’s one more step toward justice and toward restoring a sense of safety at St. Anne’s Place and in the neighborhood.

People Serving People is moving forward with a restorative justice process to bring neighbors, shelter staff, and city officials together to engage in difficult but necessary conversations about what it means to be a good neighbor and a just community.

We continue to support the families and staff who were attacked. We’ll have more information on the reopening of the St. Anne’s Place shelter in coming weeks.”

Investigators previously misidentified the suspect as someone else.

Eureka Riser has also been charged in connection with this case.