Guilty plea in Mall of America shooting that injured 2 on New Year's

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (FOX 9) - A teenager charged in a New Year's Eve shooting at Mall of America that injured two men pleaded guilty Friday morning to second-degree assault. 

Kahlil Wiley, 18, of St. Paul was charged on Jan. 6 with two counts of second-degree assault. According to the charges, on New Year’s Eve, around 4:50 p.m., Wiley was on the third floor of the mall when one of the victims and his friend saw him and began to chase him. The victim later told police he was still upset with Wiley over a prior incident. 

According to a Petition To Enter Plea of Guilty filed Friday Wiley will receive 36 month mandatory minimum on the first count, plus an additional nine months for the Blakely waiver for a crime in front of children – for a total sentence of 45 months.

The victim said while he was chasing him, Wiley turned around and pulled out a gun and shot him in the leg. 

Investigators determined the Wiley fired a single gunshot, which went through the victim’s leg, ricocheted off the metal railing and grazed the left shoulder of another man, who had no known connection to Wiley. 

Security footage showed the mall was crowded at the time of the shooting. 

In a statement to investigators, Wiley admitted to the shooting. He said he fired first at the victim and his friend because they were chasing him, and he got scared when they started to close in on him. 

Parties have agreed to restitution. Sentencing will be held March 22.