Man charged in shooting of 2-year-old in Minneapolis

A Minneapolis man has been charged after a 2-year-old was shot in the face earlier this week.

Thirty-six-year-old Kendall Hampton is charged with illegal possession of a firearm and child endangerment.

A criminal complaint states Minneapolis police responded to the 1500 block of Lasalle Avenue on Monday after a 911 caller said a 2-year-old was bleeding from his face.

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When police arrived, the caller told police she was sleeping in the same room as the 2-year-old when she awoke to him screaming and saw him bleeding significantly from his face. The complaint says Hampton was also in the room at that time and met police in the lobby of the building, saying he was a neighbor and came down to see what happened.

After officers told Hampton to wait so they could get a statement from him, he left and refused to come back when he was called, the complaint states.

The boy was taken to a hospital where it was learned that he’d been shot in the left cheek. The boy was in critical condition but stabilized over time, authorities said.

Eventually, Hampton was arrested and then admitted that he was in the room where the boy was shot. According to the complaint, he also said he’d been drinking and left his gun on the windowsill next to his bed. The woman said she told Hampton to put his gun up higher where children couldn’t get it but he wanted to keep it close. Hampton added that he was asleep and didn’t know how the child was injured but he left when police showed up because he’s not supposed to have a gun, due to a prior conviction.

Hampton’s first court appearance is set for Thursday.