Charging documents are shedding new light on the shooting that killed a 16-year-old in Brooklyn Park over the July 4 holiday weekend.
Brooklyn Park police were called to a shooting at Hartkopf Park at around 10:45 p.m. Sunday and found a 16-year-old boy with a gunshot wound to the head, officers say. That teen, identified by police as Immanuel Kowo, died at the scene.
The department announced a 17-year-old was arrested in connection to the killing on Wednesday, and prosecutors filed a juvenile petition against the suspect on Thursday.
That petition only charges the 17-year-old with gun possession — not for the homicide, at this time — but prosecutors note that could be amended in the coming days if warranted.
New details
According to the juvenile petition, roughly 50 people were at the park when the shooting happened on July 5. Most scattered after gunfire erupted. Five shell casings were found near a jungle gym, the petition notes.
Court documents add that multiple witnesses told investigators that the 17-year-old shot Kowo, although it’s not clear why or what led up to the shooting. The documents also allege that the 17-year-old is a known associate of the Kensington Crew and EBK gang.
RELATED: After deadly park shooting, Brooklyn Park neighbors weigh safety and police response
The day after the shooting, officers went to the 17-year-old’s home and stopped him as he got into a van. Inside his backpack was a gun with an extended magazine. Forensic testing later matched that gun to the shooting at Hartkopf Park, the juvenile petition states.
Investigators also reviewed the 17-year-old’s phone records and found messages to his mother roughly an hour after the shooting, stating, “Turn my phone off right in the morning mama,” “Mama how do I change my number,” “Don’t tell nb where I’m at,” and “U don’t wtf I js got into some I should of never did,” court documents state. Other messages indicated he needed to “chill” and stay away from people for a week.
Download the KSTP app more for further updates as we continue to track this story.
For Related Stories: Brooklyn Park Criminal Charges Shooting