Man With Prior Hennepin, Ramsey County Felony Convictions Charged in Minneapolis Shooting
Hennepin County Jail Booking Photo
Published: September 17th, 2026.
MINNEAPOLIS: — A man with prior felony convictions in Hennepin and Ramsey counties has been charged in connection with an August shooting in Minneapolis, according to a criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County District Court.
James Michael Anderson, 38, is charged with felony possession of ammunition or a firearm by a person convicted of a crime of violence and second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon resulting in substantial bodily harm.
According to the complaint, Minneapolis police responded to the 2000 block of 3rd Avenue South at approximately 2:38 p.m. on Aug. 30th following a reported shooting.
Officers found the victim on the third floor of a building suffering from gunshot wounds. The victim was transported to a hospital for emergency surgery, according to the complaint.
The complaint alleges that before the shooting, the victim went to another apartment to confront its resident. During that interaction, he allegedly saw the eventual shooter outside near a van and recognized him from an incident several days earlier in which the same person had allegedly pointed a firearm at him.
The victim then went to confront the man, according to prosecutors. The complaint states that the victim remembered the shooter saying something about not reaching or grabbing for something immediately before gunfire erupted. Witnesses reportedly told investigators they heard the shooter yell, “Don’t reach,” before firing several times.
After being shot, the victim ran upstairs to his apartment, according to the complaint.
The victim and a witness described the suspected shooter as a white man with a scar on his left cheek who arrived in a minivan. A witness provided investigators with a phone number for a man reportedly known as “Scarface,” according to prosecutors.
Investigators traced the phone number to Anderson, the complaint alleges. Police also determined Anderson was the registered owner of a minivan matching witness descriptions. Security footage reportedly showed a gray minivan arriving before the shooting, while cellphone location records allegedly placed Anderson at the scene.
One witness also told investigators that the shooter called shortly after the shooting and urged the witness not to say anything. Prosecutors allege phone records confirmed a call from Anderson's phone.
Anderson was arrested Sept. 15. At the time of his arrest, police allegedly found him in possession of a loaded .40-caliber pistol. The complaint states the firearm was consistent with cartridge casings recovered from the shooting scene.
Court records cited in the complaint show Anderson was convicted of fifth-degree drug possession in Hennepin County in June 2022 and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person in Ramsey County in March 2022. Prosecutors allege those prior felony convictions prohibit Anderson from possessing firearms.
The firearm-possession charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and/or a $30,000 fine. The complaint lists a five-year minimum sentence. The second-degree assault charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and/or a fine and lists a three-year minimum sentence.
Anderson remained in custody at the time the complaint was filed.
The charges are allegations. Anderson is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.