A rural Cottonwood man who allegedly shot a mental health services worker visiting his residence last week made his first appearance in Lyon County District Court on Monday.
Donald Leroy Lowe, 71, was charged with first degree attempted murder, second degree attempted murder, first degree arson and second degree assault. Bail and release conditions were set for Lowe, and a hearing was scheduled for later this month.
The complaint against Lowe filed in Lyon County District Court identified the alleged shooting victim as Tony Eriksen, 32, of Morgan. Eriksen had worked with Lowe through his job at Western Mental Health, the complaint said. Eriksen was visiting Lowe at his residence, a farmstead located in Vallers Township, at the time of the shooting July 29, the complaint alleges.
Sheriff's Department reports said Eriksen's gunshot wound was not fatal, and investigators were able to interview him later on the night of the shooting.
Eriksen told investigators he had found Lowe working on a lawn mower, and he squirted Eriksen in the eye with gasoline from a hand bulb, the complaint alleges. The complaint said Eriksen told investigators he didn't know if the act was intentional or not.
Eriksen got permission to enter Lowe's kitchen and wash his eyes, the complaint said.
When Eriksen was finished washing, Lowe gave him a wrench and asked him to take it to the basement, the complaint alleged. When Eriksen was coming back up the basement stairs, Lowe shot him in the shoulder with a rifle, the complaint alleges.
Eriksen went back into the basement and heard Lowe starting a fire in the house, the complaint alleges. Eriksen was able to call 911 on a cell phone, the complaint said.
Law enforcement officers apprehended Lowe in his driveway. When asked if there were weapons on his property that needed to be secured, Lowe said there was a rifle "around the corner," and that someone was injured in the house, the complaint said.
It took sheriff's deputies multiple tries to locate Eriksen because the house was full of smoke, the complaint said. Deputies were able to pull Eriksen out of the basement, and he was airlifted to North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale.
The complaint said Lowe denied shooting Eriksen when interviewed by an agent from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and he said the last time he fired his rifle was at a stray cat on his property July 28.
A search of Lowe's house executed July 29 found a .22-caliber rifle, a 30/30 firearm and a partial box of shells, along with empty shell casings and bullet fragments in the basement, the complaint alleged.
On Monday, bail for Lowe was set at $100,000, or $75,000 cash or bond with conditions including abide by laws, have no contact with the alleged victim, do not possess firearms and surrender all firearms to county law enforcement. A public defender was appointed for Lowe, and a hearing was set for Aug. 17.
The maximum sentence for the first degree attempted murder charge is 20 years in prison.