Missing dental grill spurred Mapleton shooting, say charges

Court documents say a missing dental grill spurred a shooting last month in Mapleton.

Rashone Dionte Thurman, 34, of Coon Rapids, was charged with felony counts of 1st & 2nd-degree assault in the shooting, which left 50-year-old Ronald James Daniel Reid of Mankato, seriously injured.

Police responded the morning of Dec 19 to an apartment on the 100 block of 4th Ave SE.  There, officers found Reid suffering from two gunshot wounds, one near his upper shoulder; the other in his lower back.  Police say Reid was lying on his stomach on the living room floor as a neighbor held bloody towels on his wounds.  Officers saw a large puddle of blood in the living room, which police say smelled of marijuana and had alcohol containers lying around.  Police also found a 9mm shell casing on the apartment floor.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Blue Earth County Court, Reid spent the night of Dec 18 at a woman’s Mapleton apartment after having too much to drink.  The complaint says the woman’s female friend, a juvenile, also stayed overnight.

Court documents say “Rizzi” came to the apartment the following morning to sell the woman marijuana.  Rizzi was later revealed to be Thurman.

Reid told investigators he had taken his gold grill off his lower teeth and placed it on the floor by the bed the night before the shooting, but it was gone the following morning.  Reid said he asked the women and Thurman to help him search for his grill.  Reid and Thurman had never met previously, according to the complaint.

Witness accounts vary after that, but Reid told investigators that Thurman denied taking the grill.  Thurman wanted to leave to the apartment, according to Reid, who wanted Thurman to continue looking for the grill.  Reid said he turned to talk to his friend when Thurman fired at him twice.

Thurman, who allegedly fled the apartment immediately after Reid was shot, told police Reid appeared to be upset and aggressive over his missing gold grill.  According to Thurman, Reid had locked the apartment door and threatened that no one could leave until the grill was found.

Thurman told investigators he dumped out his drawstring bag to prove he didn’t have the grill, and his 9mm fell out.  The complaint says Thurman loaded the gun and told Reid he was armed and would defend himself, if needed.  According to Thurman, Reid continued to be aggressive and make advancements.

The woman who lives at the apartment told investigators she heard three gunshots and turned to see Reid on the floor and Thurman holding a black handgun.  Thurman allegedly told the woman not to say anything before fleeing the apartment. Police say she provided a description of Thurman’s car and a phone number.

The juvenile who spent the night told police she heard Reid tell Thurman he wasn’t allowed to leave the apartment.  Thurman told Reid he would shoot him if he came any closer, according to the witness.  She told police Reid continued to creep closer to Thurman, who said he didn’t want to use the firearm, but would if he felt threatened.  Eventually, the girl said she heard three shots and Thurman fled.

According to the complaint, Reid apparently asked the women to call 911, but the resident said she could not call.  The juvenile initially tried calling her boyfriend, but when he didn’t answer, she called 911.

Thurman told police he gave the gun to a friend after the shooting but refused to identify the person.  Thurman has previously been convicted of felony burglary, so he also faces two felony charges for firearm violations.