Assault charges filed against alleged Mall of America shooter

Charges have been filed against a man accused of shooting and injuring two people on New Year’s Eve at Mall of America.

Kahlil Wiley, 18, of St. Paul is charged with two counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon. He remains in custody at the Hennepin County Jail, and a judge has set his bail at $250,000.

Two men suffered gunshot wounds after Wiley allegedly fired a single shot Friday on the third floor of Mall of America, a criminal complaint states. One victim was shot in the leg and was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center; the second victim suffered a graze wound to his left shoulder after the bullet ricocheted off a metal railing.

The victim who was shot in the leg told police he knew Wiley and was upset from a prior incident. When he and his friend saw Wiley at the mall, they started to chase him. During the chase, the victim said Wiley turned around, pulled out a handgun and shot at him.

Surveillance footage shows the mall was crowded at the time and there were children in the area, according to the complaint. Security locked down the mall immediately afterward.

Police arrested Wiley after they tracked him to a home in St. Paul.

Wiley admitted to police he had shot at the victim. He said two men were chasing him, and he did "several laps" while looking for an escape. When the victim started getting close, Wiley said he "got scared" and fired his gun in response.

Police arrested a man who witnesses said was leaving the mall with Wiley, but the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office decided not to bring charges against him.