A Minnesota man is accused of not only murdering his wife, but shooting two of their neighbors. Jason Michael Mesich, 48, allegedly opened fire at his Bloomington neighborhood on Sunday, killing wife Angela Lynn Mesich, 47, and critically injuring Makayla Saulter-Outlaw, 12, and Canisha Saulter, 29.
Police responded to multiple reports of shots on the 8300 block of 15th Avenue South, according to the complaint obtained by KSTP. They said they found Angela Mesich dead in a detached garage. She had been shot in the neck and torso, they said. According to cops, her husband Jason Mesich was inside screaming, throwing things, and opening fire into the basement. He surrendered to authorities.
But there were two more victims: the young Saulter-Outlaw and her sister Saulter. Their mother Mildred Saulter told the outlet that they had been moving things into a U-Haul when the incident occurred. Family members put the sisters into the U-Haul and a car, then brought them to the hospital.
Makayla was reportedly cradling and protecting her 1-year-old niece during the incident.
A 12-year-old girl used her body to shield her 1-year-old niece from a flurry of gunfire outside a Bloomington home, according to her family. A neighbor is charged with a second-degree murder count and two counts of second-degree attempted murder. https://t.co/lgb1Y4IsmI
— Star Tribune (@StarTribune) September 1, 2020
#NEW: Family members of 29-year old Canisha Saulter and 12-year-old Makayla Saulter-Outlaw stand together outside the Hennepin County jail. The two victims are still recovering in the hospital – after police say they were shot by their neighbor. @kare11
📸: GoFundMe pic.twitter.com/ayW4L81TFw
— Charmaine Nero (@CNeroTV) September 2, 2020
What could have possibly sparked this? Jason Mesich allegedly told police that he did not remember much of the incident, but said he “probably” killed his wife. He allegedly said the couple were arguing–he said they were not having enough sex. They allegedly got into a physical confrontation. In this story, his wife said that he should “maybe” just shoot her.
“I’m assuming that I did shoot her,” Jason Mesich allegedly said, adding that he likely “emptied” the firearm.
“It’s just heartbreaking, it’s just, ‘Wow,’” said, Katie-Jo Williams a friend of Angela Mesich, who died Sunday night in the shooting. “She had such a heart for people…she was always looking for people to help.” https://t.co/l1wFrSyVQa
— TC Crime Watch (@TCCrimeWatch) September 3, 2020
“She had great faith,” Angela Mesich’s friend Katie-Jo Williams told the outlet. “She loved Jesus with all her heart, which really reflected in her heart for people.”
Why did the defendant allegedly shoot his neighbors? Well, Jason Mesich allegedly claimed they were bad neighbors, that he hated all kids, and that he worried about witnesses.
The charges say Jason Mesich told police soon after surrendering that the people he targeted “were not good neighbors,” that he “hated all children” and also was concerned that they had seen him shoot his wife. https://t.co/RX7MBE8EGy
— Andy Mannix (@AndrewMannix) September 2, 2020
One of the Saulter relatives said they never interacted with him even after being neighbors for more than three years.
Makayla’s great-aunt Rev. Marcia Westbrook told The Star Tribune “he was always staring at them. He was always peeking out the window. He never said anything. Never had bad words or disagreement.”
Saulter-Outlaw suffered a gunshot wound to the head. She suffered skull fractures.
“She hasn’t even begun to live yet,” Westbrook told KTSP.
Saulter was shot in the hip and ankle.
A GoFundMe to fund the sisters’ recovery has raised $65,553 of a $500,000 goal as of Thursday morning.
Mesich faces charges of second-degree murder and second-degree attempted murder. He remains at the Hennepin County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail. He received a public defender while in court.
Emergency dispatch mentioned that the defendant has a traumatic brain injury, and had been prescribed anti-anxiety medication, according to The Star Tribune.
[Mugshot via Hennepin County]
