MINNEAPOLIS — A Bloomington man suspected of killing his wife, and shooting two neighbors appeared in front of the judge for the first time.
As two of their loved ones are still recovering in the hospital, the family of 29-year old Canisha Saulter and 12-year old Makayla Saulter-Outlaw stood outside the Hennepin County Jail.
“I believe that the lord has got them in his hand,” says Rev. Marcia Westbrook, the victim’s aunt.
Rev. Marcia Westbrook was comforted by more than a dozen family members. According to court documents, Westbrook’s nieces were shot by their neighbor while loading a U-Haul outside their Bloomington home Sunday.
Makayla was shot in the head while protecting her niece – cradled in her arms.
Bloomington police say they were first called out to a home on 15th Avenue Sunday for reports of shots fired. When they arrived, police say they heard several gunshots and found a woman dead in the garage at a home.
They later learned two neighbors were taken to the hospital. Both sister’s now face a long road to recovery ahead.
“Canisha, she is doing stable. I’ll say stable, because she got shot a couple of times in the leg, shattered her hip so they are going to start rehabilitation,” says Westbrook.
According to a criminal complaint, Mesich stated that “he hated all children” and thought his neighbors saw what happened to his wife. “At this point we don’t have all of the answers,” says William Walker, the family’s lawyer. “So this family is looking for answers today in this arraignment process we can begin down a journey that doesn’t take forever.”
Westbrook says Makayla is now being hailed a hero for saving her niece’s life. “We all get excited for sure, when we remember how she was shot but she cradled her niece and she fell in a way, that she was protecting her,” says Westbrook.