Adrian Bell walked into a bedroom where his longtime friend was sleeping and shot him seven times, leaving him critically wounded, authorities said Tuesday.

Bell, 24, of East Bethel, was charged with first-degree attempted murder and assault and is being held on $750,000 bail. The victim, Darrel Reed, 27, was shot in the arm, torso and face. He remains at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, where he underwent emergency surgery.

When Bell was arrested, he told police that he intended to kill Reed, but didn't say why, the charges said. Anoka County Attorney Tony Palumbo said "this was a personal dispute between these two men which erupted into a tragedy."

The shooting took place in Anoka Saturday afternoon at the home of Reed's girlfriend.

According to the charges, Bell told police he was going to kill Reed in the living room, a baby was in the room, so he waited until Reed went to the bedroom to take a nap with his girlfriend. The girlfriend escaped unharmed.

Bell hid the black and gold Highpoint 9 mm handgun at a house in Minneapolis before police arrested him during a traffic stop. Police recovered the handgun, and Bell said he bought the weapon earlier in the day with the intent to kill Reed.

Bell's next court appearance is Dec. 26.

DAVID CHANEN