Thank you to everyone who has shared their thoughts since the shooting outside our homecoming game. Some neighbors are calling for tougher accountability. Others are asking for patience while police and prosecutors do their work. I hear both, and I believe both matter.
I also know there has been confusion about the facts. Here is what has been reported, along with what I learned at this week’s joint City Council and School Board meeting.
Where the case stands
As of Monday, Oct. 12, the 18-year-old accused of the shooting faces second-degree assault and riot charges, both involving a dangerous weapon. Four other young men, ages 18 to 20, were charged Friday with third-degree riot. At last report, those four had not yet been taken into custody.
Bail was set at $100,000. The accused was released over the weekend through a bail bonding company. At Monday’s hearing, the judge added strict conditions:
- Electronic monitoring
- No weapons, drugs or alcohol
- No contact with the victims
- No access to a passport
- Stay away from Eden Prairie High School
His next court date is Dec. 2, and legal experts expect a case like this to take about a year.
It helps to know that bail exists mainly to make sure a defendant returns to court. Punishment is decided at sentencing, if there is a conviction. That can be hard to accept when our community is hurting, but due process protects all of us.
What I saw at the joint meeting
On Monday I attended the joint City Council and School Board meeting, and I came away encouraged. Starting with Wednesday’s home game against Eastview, spectators will see real changes:
- Every spectator goes through metal detectors at a security entrance
- A stricter bag policy
- Only Eden Prairie and Eastview students with a valid student ID admitted
- Police at school entrances, drones overhead and more patrols in the parking lots
These are similar to the entry standards many of us already know from events at U.S. Bank Stadium. The district is also planning a community forum on school safety, with a date to be announced.
Keeping every resident informed
Our leaders are making good progress. One request I made at the meeting: that the safety updates going to parents of school-age children also be sent to all Eden Prairie residents.In a community like ours, these are all our kids, and every neighbor deserves to feel safe and in the loop, whether or not they have children in school, and clear information is the best answer to rumor and worry.
Moving forward together
I’d like to ask us to circle back to what matters most: Eden Prairie, and how we move forward together. The courts and the Hennepin County Attorney handle prosecution. The City Council’s job is making sure our police are staffed and supported, working alongside our schools, and investing in positive opportunities for our young people.
As we heal and look ahead together, I’d truly love to know: what would help you and your family feel safer and more at home here? More visible patrols in your neighborhood? Clearer communication from the City? More options for our young people? Something else? Please send me your specific ideas at contact@tinacforep.com. Those are the conversations that turn into real solutions.
– Tina Culbertson
Sources
- KSTP: Suspect makes first court appearance; 4 others charged with riot
- FOX 9: Alleged gunman makes first court appearance
- FOX 9: Football game security changes after homecoming shooting
Paid for by the TinaCforEP Committee, 8725 Columbine Rd #46013, Eden Prairie, MN 55344.
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