Maplewood man charged with fatally shooting wife

Larry T. Tennin terrorized his wife throughout the entirety of their relationship, and followed through with his threats by fatally shooting her last month, charges said.

Tennin, 31, who is also known as Todd Larry Tennin, was charged Monday in Ramsey County District Court with second-degree murder for shooting April Tennin, 41, in the mouth.

The shooting occurred about 6 a.m. on Aug. 23 following a drawn-out argument. Tennin fled their Maplewood townhouse, and was arrested earlier this month at a cousin's home in the Chicago area.

The criminal complaint also alleges that Tennin had made many threats to kill his wife and her children, regularly abused them and attacked April Tennin so brutally last year that she told a friend there was "blood all over the room" and "it looked like a murder scene."

According to the complaint: April Tennin's 16-year-old daughter and her boyfriend overheard the argument and shooting. The daughter and April Tennin's 12-year-old son found her body.

"My mom's dead in the bathroom!" the girl told a 911 dispatcher.

The girl identified Larry Tennin as the shooter.

A drunk Tennin returned home early in the morning and continued arguing with his wife, the complaint said.

April Tennin's daughter and the boyfriend told police they heard the two arguing in the bathroom and heard bumps on the wall as if they were pushing each other around. The complaint didn't specify what the two argued about.

"I'm done with this!" Larry Tennin allegedly yelled at one point. "Everybody line up!"

The boyfriend told police he heard Larry Tennin leave the bathroom, enter the master bedroom, open a closet door and return to the bathroom.

"Bae, stop! Bae, stop!" April Tennin pleaded, using a slang term that affectionately refers to one's partner.

"No, Bae, I'm sorry!" she pleaded.

Tennin fired one shot and fled, the boyfriend told police.

April Tennin's 12-year-old son told police he retrieved a bloody gun from the bathroom and placed it in a windowsill because he was afraid that Tennin would return and kill everyone.

"[The boy] said he had heard Tennin threaten, 'If I ever kill your mom, I'm going to kill the rest of you so there are no witnesses,' " the complaint said.

A medical examiner's report showed that April Tennin died of a gunshot wound to her head. She also had abrasions on the side of her neck and bruises on her body. After his arrest, Tennin allegedly said, "I didn't do nothing, man."

The complaint alleges that Tennin had previously put a gun in April Tennin's mouth and threatened to kill her.

On Aug. 15 and 19, she sought refuge inside a St. Paul church, the complaint said. The second time, a church employee locked herself, April Tennin and one of April's children in a room because Larry Tennin entered the church looking for them.

April Tennin has four children — the youngest, 7, and the oldest, 22, were not home when she was killed.

Larry Tennin's record includes convictions for malicious punishment of a child and second-degree assault, among others.

Chao Xiong • 612-270-4708