Richfield man accused of fatally shooting woman in back of head is arrested, charged

A man from Richfield is in custody on suspicion of second-degree unintentional murder after he allegedly fatally shot a woman in the back of the head in Minneapolis.

The Richfield Police Department says officers arrested Luke Joshua Cain, 29, on Wednesday in connection with a Dec. 6 incident in Minneapolis, when the Minneapolis Police Department responded to a 911 call of an adult woman who had been shot in a vehicle.

The woman was found around 3:54 a.m. near the area of 4500 Hiawatha Avenue with a gunshot wound to the back of her head. She was taken to the hospital in critical condition, where she later died.

Police began to investigate reports of gunshots in the area and found a 911 call placed around 3:30 a.m. on the 6200 block of Fifth Avenue South in Richfield.

Officers later spoke with Cain, who said he had called 911 after he reportedly saw several people who appeared to be stealing items from his van that was parked on the street. Cain reportedly told police he had confronted them, and they got into a gray pickup and left the area. He did not mention having or firing a gun.

On Wednesday, officers again spoke to Cain, who admitted he had a gun during the confrontation and reportedly told officers that the group did not threaten or present weapons toward him.

Cain said he had fired two shots at the truck as it drove away and had taken the gun up to his cabin in Aitkin. According to a criminal complaint, he decided it was best to “get it out of there.”

Surveillance video obtained by police reportedly showed Cain rushing out of his home and yelling at the group before taking out his handgun.

Cain remains in custody on $500,000 bail, according to online jail records. His first court appearance is set for Friday afternoon.