Charges: Man fired gun in light rail station in Minneapolis
Dontaineun Cain (Courtesy: Hennepin County Sheriff's Office)
A 32-year-old man who allegedly fired a gun at a light rail transit (LRT) station in Minneapolis was charged by the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office on Tuesday, according to court records.
Dontaineun Javon Cain, of Minneapolis, is charged with one count of illegally possessing a firearm, one count of intentional discharge of a firearm that endangers safety, and one count of transit crime.
On Aug. 13, Metro Transit officers were called to the LRT station at U.S. Bank for a report of gunfire, according to a criminal complaint. Witnesses at the scene told law enforcement that they heard three shots fired and saw people running.
Upon review of surveillance video from the platform, officers saw Cain and a man identified as Deontai Michael Eric Shorter get into a fight with an unidentified man, according to charging documents. As the fight escalated, Cain was seen on top of the man before he gets up and walks back toward Shorter, who then handed Cain a gun from a black bag he was carrying. Cain then allegedly fired in the direction of the unidentified man, according to officers.
Ten to 15 people in the immediate vicinity can be seen on video running and ducking.
At 10:30 p.m., officers found Cain and Shorter on the platform of the Warehouse Station LRT with a woman, who was carrying a black bag.
Cain told law enforcement that prior to the incident he had received a call from the mother of his child, who had taken the train before him and told him there were people smoking fentanyl on the train and they were now on the platform with a knife. Cain then met the person on the platform to talk to him.
Cain was previously convicted of first-degree aggravated robbery in 2014, which means he’s not allowed to own or carry a gun.
Cain is due back in court for his first appearance on Aug. 16 at 1:30 p.m.
Shorter is also charged with unlawful gun possession after a previous first-degree aggravated robbery conviction. He’s also scheduled to make his first appearance Wednesday afternoon.