Suspect in school bus shooting involved in 2015 deadly shooting

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The man charged with shooting a school bus driver following a crash on I-94 made his first court appearance Friday afternoon. FOX 9 is also learning this is not the first time he's been involved in a shooting incident.

Kenneth Lilly is charged with attempted second-degree murder and second-degree assault in the school bus shooting, but he was also involved in a deadly shooting in St. Paul three years ago.

The video of Tuesday's bus shooting released by the Minnesota Department of Transportation shows Lilly get out of his car and walk toward a school bus that had scraped his car while merging into traffic. Lilly tries to get on the bus and eventually fires five shots through the windshield. The shots graze the bus driver's head and hit his arm, but miss an eight-year-old student inside.

Lilly told police he feared for his safety, but this isn't the first time he has been involved in a highly publicized shooting where he has made that claim.

According to the Ramsey County Attorney's Office, Lilly shot and killed 16-year-old Lavauntai Broadbent, who went by the nickname "Man Man" back in July of 2015. Police say Broadbent was wearing a ski mask and gloves when he pulled a gun on Lilly on the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River at Monument Park during an attempted robbery. Investigators say Lilly, who had a permit to carry, pulled out his own weapon and fired back, fearful he and a female witness were going to be killed. 

Just like in the school bus shooting, police say Lilly called 911 and tried to help his would-be robber by performing CPR on him, but Broadbent was declared dead at the scene.

Ultimately, the Ramsey County Attorney's Office decided not to press criminal charges against Lilly saying his use of deadly force against Broadbent was legally justified.

In a statement Lilly's attorneys said, "Mr. Lilly was the victim of a horrible violent crime where he had to act to save his life and the life of a young lady. Members of the “Shoota Boy Gang,” on a multi-day crime spree, robbed him and a woman at gunpoint. He takes no joy in those events and has struggled with the inevitable emotional turmoil that follows being forced to act in such a way. The matter was investigated reviewed and Mr. Lilly was cleared."

St. Paul police say Lilly was also involved in an altercation at a bus stop in 2013, where he was approached by 10 to 15 men and one of them told the others to get him. Lilly said he feared for his safety and pulled out a three-inch knife, but one in the group took out a box cutter and a five-inch knife.
Lilly backed across the street and got into the car of a passerby. Three people were eventually arrested.