2 facing charges after St. Paul boy shot on New Year's Eve

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Charges have been brought against two suspects after a St. Paul child was seriously hurt after being shot at his home on New Year's Eve.

The criminal complaint filed Thursday against Morris Chie Ryan and Kelci Meyers outlines the tragedy surrounding the shooting that happened on Dec. 31, minutes before midnight, along Sherburne Avenue.

According to the charges, the family was gathered in the home, waiting for midnight to strike, with the 10-year-old victim playing with Legos before shots came through the kitchen window.

The boy was struck in the stomach, with the bullet piercing his bladder and lower gastrointestinal tract before exiting his left buttock. The boy's mother recalled she heard a man in the alley make a profane statement after the shooting.

Police recovered seven 9mm Luger casings from that alleyway and counted 10 bullet holes in the rear window, near the kitchen.

The motive behind the shooting remains unclear. After shots were fired, the family told investigators they suspected a former neighbor, who had a problem with the family, was involved in the crime. As the complaint spells out, the investigation separately led officers to Ryan and Meyers. Police say Meyers used to live with the neighbor who the family suspected. However, while speaking with police, Meyers denied having recent contact with her former housemate.

Officers say they were able to connect Ryan and Meyers to the shooting scene through surveillance video and cell phone data. At a residence in Hastings, where police arrested both suspects, police found seven guns, including two that fired 9mm rounds.

During questioning, both Ryan and Meyers denied involvement in the shooting but had inconsistent stories about how they spent their New Year's Eve.

Both Ryan and Meyers face charges of attempted murder and assault.