Man pleads guilty to assault charge for 2022 shooting that caused partial remove of victim’s intestine

Court records show a Faribault man has entered a guilty plea to an assault charge filed in connection to a 2022 Burnsville shooting.

Ronald Lambert Nielsen II, 42, has pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree assault. He was initially charged with first-degree assault, attempted second-degree murder and illegal possession of a firearm. Records show he initially had a jury trial scheduled to begin on Monday, Jan. 8.

As previously reported by 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS, court documents state Burnsville police were called to a home on Nov. 30, 2022, for a reported shooting. When officers and medics arrived, a man suffering from two gunshot wounds came out to the ambulance. Officers noted his pants were completely covered in blood and the man was also pale and sweating profusely.

When officers talked with the victim at the hospital the next day, he said he was sleeping when Nielsen came into his bedroom and asked if he’d been talking to Nielsen’s girlfriend. After the victim denied it, Nielsen shot him twice and threatened to “blow your brains out” if the victim talked to Nielsen’s girlfriend, the complaint states. The document went on to say due to the victim’s injury, doctors were forced to remove part of the victim’s small intestine.

While on the way to a hospital, the victim said he’d been shot by Nielsen, who goes by the name “Barney,” because he thought the victim had been involved with his girlfriend.

A witness told police she’d been talking to the victim’s significant other, and the significant other said she and Nielsen had suspected the victim was having an affair with Nielsen’s girlfriend.

When officers spoke to the significant other, she said Nielsen had been texting and calling her while she was at work. The complaint states that the significant other told Nielsen the victim was at their home and to go check if anything was going on with him and Nielsen’s girlfriend.

Court documents add that Nielsen’s girlfriend told police that she’d left Nielsen several days ago and was scared for her life, saying Nielsen thought she was sleeping with people and he was acting different over the last several months.

The victim added that he’d dated Nielsen’s girlfriend 13 years ago but recently started getting “nonsense text messages” from Nielsen.

Records show Nielsen’s sentencing is currently scheduled for the morning of April 23.