FAIRMONT, Minn. — A southern Minnesota man is charged with manslaughter for his role in the accidental fatal shooting of his 2-year-old son by an older brother.
Court documents detail the charges against Colton Dean Mammenga, which also include child endangerment and negligent storage of a firearm.
The incident occurred near the small community of Welcome on the morning of Oct. 15, 2023. Martin County deputies were dispatched after a 911 call reported a shooting, where the caller said they were traveling toward Fairmont with the victim.
A deputy intercepted the vehicle and it pulled over when a man later identified as Colton Mammenga got out holding a child in his arms. As Mammenga began performing CPR the deputy noticed a hold in the 2-year-old's right temple that was seeping blood and a larger wound on the boy's head, according to court documents. The deputy said Mammenga told him that his 4-year-old son, who was still in the vehicle, had accidentally shot his younger brother, the complaint said.
An ambulance crew arrived and rushed the toddler to a hospital. Sadly, the boy died two days later of his wounds.
A criminal complaint issued against Mammenga said investigators spoke to the defendant's partner, who reached into the back seat of their truck and handed them a handgun. Deputies also located a ziplock baggie full of 9mm bullets sitting next to the 4-year-old's car seat. There were also loose rounds and a holster on the seat.
When interviewed, investigators said Mammenga told them he and the mother of the boys loaded them in their car seats, then went back in the house to grab coffee. According to the complaint, Mammenga admitted to leaving his gun in the passenger-side door pocket prior to going back into the house. Mammenga reportedly told deputies that as they were traveling on Highway 263 he heard a loud pop, looked into the backseat and saw blood coming down from the 2-year-old’s forehead.
Documents said Mammenga said he didn't notice the gun was missing from the door until after the shooting.
The children's mother shared a similar version of events with law enforcement, adding that when he is traveling in a vehicle Mammenga regularly removes the handgun from his waistband and puts it in a door storage compartment.
Prosecutors said the truck was impounded and searched after a warrant was issued. The slug investigators believe struck the 2-year-old was found embedded in a pillar next to the car seat he had been sitting in.
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
- Add KARE 11+ on Roku here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Roku Channel Store.
- Add KARE 11+ on Fire TV here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Amazon App Store.
- Learn more about the KARE 11+ app for Apple TV in the Apple App Store.
- Learn more about KARE 11+ here.
Watch more local news:
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities and across Minnesota in our YouTube playlist:
