Bemidji teen charged in shooting of parents after phone dispute

A 16-year-old Bemidji boy faces four felony charges after prosecutors say he shot his parents and another adult at an apartment complex in the Itasca Loop neighborhood, triggering a police search that briefly locked down Sanford Health-Bemidji Medical Center and shut down Bemidji Youth Baseball activities.

Police responded around 4:40 to 4:45 p.m. on May 7 at 2500 Itasca Loop Northwest and found three adults with gunshot wounds. Court documents say the boy’s mother was shot in the abdomen, while his father and a third adult bystander were shot in the legs. All three were initially described as critically injured, then later reported in stable condition and expected to recover. Family members said the mother had been discharged from a Bemidji hospital, and the father was being treated in Fargo.

Beltrami County prosecutors charged the teen with first-degree assault, two counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon causing substantial bodily harm, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a minor. Prosecutors are asking Beltrami County District Court to try him as an adult. The boy turned himself in about two hours after the shooting.

According to court documents, the teen told police he became “irate” after his parents took away his cellphone privileges. He also told investigators he got the gun without his parents’ knowledge and hid it under a pile of leaves near Bemidji Middle School, raising fresh questions about how a weapon reached a household already facing a mental-health crisis. An uncle said the family did not know a gun was in the home and said the teenager had been struggling with mental health challenges.

The case has become more than a criminal file. It is a warning about how fast a family conflict can turn into an armed emergency when a teenager is angry, vulnerable and able to reach a firearm. The parents later posted a video from the hospital thanking supporters and saying they still love their son, even as the charges and the adult-certification request move forward in Beltrami County.

For Bemidji families, the immediate lesson is clear: if a teen is threatening relatives, talking about violence or may have access to a weapon, treat it as an emergency and call 911 right away. School counselors, police and hospital staff can be part of the response, but the first priority is getting everyone away from the weapon and into immediate safety.