Woman pleads guilty to charge stemming from Minneapolis shooting

A woman has entered a guilty plea to a charge stemming from a shooting last spring in Minneapolis.

Friday, a pre-trial hearing turned into a plea hearing for 25-year-old Colleen Larson. A petition shows Larson entered the plea for one count of attempted first-degree murder.

There was no deal in exchange for the guilty plea.

As previously reported, Larson was initially charged with one count of first-degree premeditated attempted murder for the shooting, which happened the evening of April 20 near the intersection of Malcolm and University Avenues, outside of the Family Wise family support center.

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Larson was charged alongside Timothy Amacher, who was sentenced earlier this week for charges stemming from the attempt to murder Nicole Lenway. Amacher was sentenced to 18 years (216 months) after being found guilty in November of attempted first-degree murder and aiding an offender in the shooting that seriously injured Lenway.

Lenway, a forensic scientist for the Minneapolis Police Department, has a child with Amacher and was on her way to pick the child up when she was shot in the arm and neck.

Amacher and the child were inside the center when the shooting happened. When asked if he had any idea who might have shot the woman, Amacher reportedly said “absolutely,” and claimed the shooting must have been related to her work as a forensic scientist.

Officers reviewed the center’s surveillance video, which allegedly showed the woman waiting, prior to the shooting, in her vehicle in the parking lot. Video reportedly then showed the driver of a 2022 Dodge Ram without a license plate parked and got out, wearing all black clothing, a medical mask and gloves. The driver, later identified as Larson, hid behind a fence until the woman exited her vehicle. At that point, surveillance video reportedly showed Larson, holding a firearm, run up to the woman. The shooting happened outside the surveillance camera view, according to officers.

Investigators learned Amacher had purchased a 2022 Dodge Ram in January. They obtained a search warrant for the GPS data associated with the Dodge Ram. Investigators were able to determine Amacher had switched vehicles with Larson at his place of work before Larson took the vehicle to a St. Paul residence, and then to the family support center.

Investigators also obtained a search warrant for the St. Paul residence and found multiple firearms and several .380 discharged cartridge cases. The Hennepin County Crime Lab determined the cartridges matched the cases at the scene of the shooting.

Amacher initially denied the Dodge Ram at the scene of the shooting was his. During the same interview, when asked what guns he owns, he did not mention a .380 but when pressed, said he used to have two .380 pistols.

Larson previously denied being involved and told investigators she was at home in St. Paul when the shooting happened.

A court register shows a sentencing hearing for Larson has been scheduled for the morning of March 27.