WILLMAR – The 18-year-old suspect in a Willmar shooting reported in the early hours of Sunday morning is now charged with attempted murder.

Willmar Police Capt. Michael Anderson told the West Central Tribune on Tuesday that the juvenile who was shot and previously flown to the metro area for further treatment has now been released from the hospital.

The juvenile told an investigating officer that he was driving home and was followed by another vehicle when he heard gunshots and then felt like he had been hit in the back, according to court documents.

Contributed / Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office

Carsten Ronald Tallman, of Willmar, made his first appearance Tuesday in Kandiyohi County District Court on attempted second-degree murder, without intent while committing a felony.

He is also charged with four other felonies, including a dangerous weapons charge: shooting from a vehicle into an occupied vehicle, second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, unlawful possession of ammunition and/or a firearm, and possession of drugs in fifth grade.

Judge Dwayne Knutsen ordered Tallman held on bail of $750,000 with no conditions or $350,000 with conditions including regular contact with probation and no contact with any victim. Tallman was still in custody Tuesday afternoon.

His next scheduled court hearing is January 14, 2025.

According to the criminal complaint, CentraCare – Rice Memorial Hospital staff contacted Willmar police around 2:39 a.m. Sunday to report that a young man had suffered a gunshot wound. An adult man told the officer he had taken the juvenile who was shot to the hospital. The two had attended a meeting at an apartment in northwest Willmar, but the adult witness said he did not see what had happened.

According to the complaint, the minor had left the meeting and another vehicle had left at the same time as him.

The officer spoke with the minor in the emergency room before undergoing surgery. The juvenile told the officer he was driving home and a car began following him. According to the complaint, the minor tried to get away from the vehicle and heard gunshots coming from it. He said he felt like he was hit in the back and that the shots were fired among the lakes near the radio station in Willmar.

According to the criminal complaint, another adult man at the hospital informed the investigating officer that he was also at the party but did not see what had happened. He indicated that a woman he was able to identify and another he did not know were also at the party and “are known to be associated with a group of people who have problems” with the minor who was shot.

While speaking with the juvenile victim’s girlfriend at the hospital, officers learned that the juvenile had stated that the vehicle following him was a red Chevrolet Impala.

While attempting to locate the crime scene, authorities eventually located a van with bullet holes on 23rd Street Northeast, near the parking lot of the 1200 block of buildings.

Bullet holes were located in the windshield of the vehicle, along with numerous others in the rear of the vehicle. Apparent bullet holes were also detected in the second row seats and the driver’s seat. A blood stain was also found in the center of the back of the driver’s seat.

Another officer reported that the vehicle also appeared to have red paint transfer to the rear. The minor who was injured later told police that the damage was due to the shooting incident.

According to the complaint, the Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office had also secured the scene where the juvenile said the shooting occurred at the intersection of 15th Avenue Northwest and First Street north of the radio tower. The bullet casings were located on the road and were placed in a line along the road. All the rounds appeared to coincide, according to the complaint.

Officers also noticed car parts in the roadway due to an apparent collision between the two vehicles. While collecting evidence, an officer noticed an apparent trail of liquid. According to the complaint, following the trail from the intersection of 15th Avenue Northwest and First Street North, it appeared that the leaking vehicle had left the road, lost control and crossed the west side of the road into the ditch, leaving parts behind .

The vehicle tracks then exited the ditch onto 15th Avenue and appeared to turn south onto First Street.

According to the complaint, the investigating officer knew of an unknown red Impala that was parked on Johanna Avenue Southeast, between Third and Fourth Street, over the weekend. The officer had also observed a red Impala parked in the 700 block of Third Street Southeast during three of his previous shifts.

The officer also knew that Tallman lived at a residence in the area and that he and the juvenile who had suffered the gunshot wound had been having ongoing problems.

According to the complaint, the officer found the red Impala with noticeable damage to the driver’s side headlight. After requesting additional officers, he exited his squad and noticed the car was hot to the touch and smelled like burning oil.

Another officer looked under the car and saw what appeared to be oil leaking from the vehicle.

Officers went to Tallman’s residence. The investigating officer informed Tallman why authorities had come.

According to the complaint, Tallman denied being involved in the incident and said he was sleeping when a family member woke him up saying officers were outside.

Tallman said the Impala was his girlfriend’s vehicle and he had not left his house for days. Shortly afterward he asked to speak to a lawyer.

According to the complaint, a witness at the scene told officers that Tallman had been home that morning but had left between 5 and 7 p.m. on Saturday. The witness said Tallman returned to the residence between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. Sunday.

Tallman’s previous criminal record includes a first-degree assault case in Kandiyohi County, according to the criminal complaint. Tallman was declared a delinquent in that case.