Minnesota Man Charged After Shooting At National Guard Soldiers

Authorities charged a 28-year-old man in connection to a drive-by shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Andrew Thomas faces one count of illegal possession of a firearm. Police officers arrested him Sunday night when they caught his vehicle on security cameras. According to the Star Tribune, an SUV drove near the soldiers 4:20 a.m. Someone inside the SUV fired at the soldiers. One bullet struck the windshield of a vehicle containing four soldiers.According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the team was posted at the corner of Penn Avenue North and West Broadway Avenue. Two soldiers obtained minor injuries, although one went to the hospital for an injury from the shattered windshield.Later Sunday night, police officers found an SUV that matched the one caught on security footage. Officers obtained a search warrant for the SUV and discovered a semi-automatic pistol, a revolver, ammunition, and two empty bullet cartridges. Additionally, officials convicted Thomas on a felony charge in 2017. This banned him from owning a firearm. The soldiers were present in Minneapolis as a part of Operation Safety Net, a response to protests against police violence in the Twin Cities.