By Dan Nienaber
ST. JAMES — A 30-year-old St. James man was charged this week with attempted murder stemming from a shooting in a park several days earlier.
Bryan Michael Hennis was arrested July 24 after several people called police to report a shooting at Memorial Park in St. James. The first officer to arrive found Hennis sitting on a picnic table at the park next to an open case of beer.
Two knives were found when Hennis was searched, but he denied knowing anything about a shooting, according to the criminal complaint that was filed Wednesday in Watonwan County District Court. A handgun was eventually found in a tree at the park, hidden in a grouping of branches about 16 feet off the ground.
Amanda Sue Persinger, 21, and Travis Lee Robb, 20, were with Hennis. They initially told police they didn’t know about a gun but changed their story later after they were interviewed, the complaint said.
Persinger said she was in the bathroom when she heard three gunshots. Hennis handed her a gun when she came out of the bathroom, she reported. She said she “freaked” and handed the gun, which she identified as the one found in the tree, back to Hennis.
After overhearing Hennis tell someone he had “a bullet with your name on it” during a cell phone call, Robb said he left the area with kids who were with him. Hennis then paced around before saying, “There he is” and firing three or four shots at a passing car.
Robb also told police Hennis had planned to throw the gun into the lake next to the park. The gun fell out of Hennis’ waistband while he was walking, so Robb said he picked the gun up and hid it up in the tree so the kids wouldn’t be able to get it.
Persinger told police the person in the passing car was 30-year-old Dustin Gronewald, the man Hennis is accused of attempting to kill. She also reported Gronewald was the person Hennis was talking to on the cell phone.
Another witness, 44-year-old Randy Chute, also reported hearing the gunshots. He said a boy told him where the gun was hidden in the tree, so he brought an officer to the location.
“Hennis and the victim are familiar with one another, but the motive of the shooting is not yet clear,” a news release from the St. James Police Department said. “At this time it appears to be over a young lady involved with the investigation.”
Hennis also has been charged with second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, two counts of discharging a dangerous weapon in public and two counts of making terroristic threats, all felonies. His bail was set at $300,000 without conditions or $150,000 with conditions.
The incident remains under investigation and anyone with information is being asked to call St. James police at 507-375-3222.
