Charges: Plymouth gas station shooting suspect is 'a danger to public safety'

A man wanted in connection with a fatal shooting last week at a Plymouth gas station remained at large on Friday, and authorities asked for the public's help finding him.

Daniel James Hart was described as "a danger to public safety," according to charges of a convicted felon in possession of a firearm filed Thursday in Hennepin County District Court.

Plymouth police identified Hart, 23, of Brooklyn Park, as the suspect after speaking with several witnesses who said they saw him use a silver semiautomatic handgun to shoot Marlon Lindly Pompe multiple times about 8:25 p.m. June 9 at a Sinclair gas station on the 9600 block of 36th Avenue N.

Pompe, 28, of Maple Grove, was taken to North Memorial Health Hospital after the shooting, but later died from a gunshot wound to the chest, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office said.

Witnesses told police Hart drove away from the station near the busy intersection of 36th Avenue and Hwy. 169 in a sedan after firing multiple times, the charges said.

Police matched witness' statements with surveillance video obtained from "multiple sources" that isolated images of Hart and the vehicle. Records showed that law enforcement had stopped the black 2017 BMW 740 with Minnesota license plate 5BD-597 three times since Feb. 17. Hart was identified as the driver in all three cases, according to the complaint.

Investigators obtained known images of Hart and compared them with images captured on surveillance video to identify him as the suspect, the charges said.

As a convicted felon, Hart was not supposed to be in possession of a firearm. He was convicted of first-degree aggravated robbery and second-degree assault in December 2016. He was convicted of aiding an offender in July 2017.

Hart was last seen turning onto southbound Hwy. 169 moments after the shooting, Plymouth police said Friday. Investigators have not recovered any weapons, but they did recover three cartridge casings near the gas pumps indicating that Hart "possessed and fired" the gun during the incident, the charges said.

Anybody with information can call Plymouth police at 763-509-5177.