Chanhassen man charged with murdering sister; AR-15s, AK-47s recovered

A Chanhassen man is charged with murder after allegedly shooting his sister over the weekend.

Court records show 21-year-old Joseph Thomas Ness is charged with one count of second-degree murder.

According to the Carver County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a fire alarm at around 2:20 p.m. Saturday in the 3700 block of Landings Drive and were alerted shortly after that a shooting had been reported at the same address. The suspect was believed to be inside the home and had reportedly shot his older sister.

Shortly after 3 p.m., a homeowner about a half-mile north reported that a man had walked onto her property and said he’d killed his sister and wanted to surrender.

Suspect in custody after fatally shooting sister in Chanhassen

Deputies responded and took the man, identified as Ness, into custody.

A criminal complaint states deputies entered the home they were initially called to and found hundreds of spent rifle casings, bullet holes in walls and windows shattered by gunfire. Deputies also noted it appeared Ness had shot into his sister’s room from across a hallway. A total of 12 spent casings were found near her bed.

While executing a search warrant, authorities found six rifles — including AR-15s and AK-47s — ammunition and high-capacity drum magazines, according to the complaint.

Ness was scheduled to make his initial court appearance on Tuesday.