UPDATE: Police spokesman John Elder said Friday that the gunman used a Norinco 7.62X39 semi-automatic rifle.
ORIGINAL POST: The Minneapolis man authorities say fired an assault rifle at his former girlfriend as she slept and then threatened police officers Wednesday morning has been charged with first-degree attempted murder.
Major J. Moore, who will turn 37 on Saturday, also faces charges of second-degree assault with a deadly weapon and first-degree burglary with a dangerous weapon, said Chuck Laszewski, a spokesman for the Hennepin County attorney's office. The incident occurred about 11:20 a.m. on the 2300 block of Lincoln Street, according to a criminal complaint.
Authorities say that Moore, who later told investigators that the last thing he remembered was smoking PCP and playing the video game "Grand Theft Auto," fired a single shot at the sleeping victim from outside of her northeast Minneapolis home, missing her by a few inches. He later chased the victim through the house, before fleeing to a nearby alley, according to the complaint.
Once outside, Moore threatened responding officers, who ordered him to drop the weapon, authorities said. When he refused to comply, an unidentified officer fired a shotgun at him and missed.
The suspect fled, but was arrested a short time later, authorities said.
No officers were injured.
A police spokesman said Friday that he did not have information about the make and model of the rifle, other than it was "an assault rifle with high-capacity magazine."
