Man accused of firing shots in Mall of America to face jury

Emily Baude KSTP

A jury trial is expected to begin June 5 for one of the men charged with firing shots in Mall of America last summer.

Shamar Alon Ramon Lark, 21, is charged with one count of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, one count of intentional discharge of a firearm that endangers safety, and one count of possession of a pistol in a public place without a permit.

A complaint states that on Aug. 4, 2022, Lark and his codefendant, 23-year-old Rashad May, got into a fight with about four other people near the checkout area in a Nike store in the mall.

Surveillance footage obtained by Mall of America security shows Lark returning and firing a gun inside the store before running away, court documents state. No one was injured in the shooting.

The Bloomington Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Lark and May in Chicago a little over a week after the incident.

Lark could serve up to seven years for the second-degree assault charge and two years for intentionally discharging a weapon. He also faces a maximum sentence of five years for the possession of a pistol in a public place without a permit, if convicted.

The complaint adds that prosecutors are seeking an aggravated sentence based on Lark’s previous firearm-related offenses, the seriousness of the nature of the crime, and the fact that children saw, heard, and witnessed the offense.

Three other people have been charged with aiding an offender in connection to the shooting but one recently died.