Today’s forecast

Pregnant woman fatally shot in Amazon Fulfillment Center parking lot

A 31-year-old woman was about to become a mother of four, but instead, she was shot and killed in a Lakeville parking lot Sunday night.

Lakeville police said a woman who was pregnant was fatally shot while sitting in her car at an Amazon Fulfillment center. The incident happened just before 7 p.m. in a parking lot on the 9800 block of 217th Street West.

Commander Bill Gerl said an Amazon employee called 911. Police said first responders arrived on scene and provided life-saving measures.

“Obviously, if they knew she was pregnant, they’re going to do everything they can do in their power to save her life knowing that it’s going to affect the life of the unborn baby at that point,” Gerl said.

Police said the woman was taken to the Hennepin County Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. 

Family identified the victim as 31-year-old Kyla O’Neal. They said she was far along in her pregnancy and prior to her death, she was scheduled to be induced this week with her fourth child.

“She was so ready to bring him in this world. She had everything packed. His diaper bag was packed and ready for the big day. All his bassinets and car seats and everything was set and ready,” his family told FOX 9.

Police said hospital staff delivered her baby Sunday night but did not know the newborn’s condition. However, O’Neal’s family told FOX 9 the baby boy is “fighting.”

O’Neal’s family said she was a certified nursing assistant and described her as a family-oriented, intelligent, outspoken mother who cared deeply about her children.

Investigators say the initial information indicates a 32-year-old man from Minneapolis was involved in the shooting. He was at the scene when police arrived and is cooperating with the investigation.

The suspect is being held in jail on charges of second-degree manslaughter. He works at the Amazon facility where the incident occurred, police said Monday.

A spokesperson for Amazon confirmed the suspect is employed at the company and said Amazon officials are working with the police.

As for what the relationship is between the suspect and victim, police are not saying. However, FOX 9 has obtained documents showing that they had at least one child together.

The suspect is expected to be charged Tuesday. O’Neal’s family is also planning a balloon release and vigil Tuesday evening.

Catch Up Quick 

🚓 Authorities are investigating a shooting at Southdale Center in Edina on Monday afternoon. The incident happened around 12:11 p.m. on Monday. An officer working in the mall heard the single shot that was fired and responded near the Hennepin County Service Center. The mall was placed on a brief lockdown.

💰 The Mega Millions jackpot has soared to an estimated $1.1 billion — now the third-largest jackpot in the game’s history — ahead of Tuesday night’s drawing. 

💜 FOX 9 was given incredible on-the-field and behind-the-scenes access to the pregame in-stadium production process at U.S. Bank Stadium for the Dec. 4 game against the New York Jets. Thursday night at 9:30 p.m., we’re sharing the work of 9 photojournalists, images from 15 cameras, capturing more than 150 hours of footage. 

Indoor, pop-up skatepark opens in Uptown mall storefront

Many Twin Cities skateboarders see their options for skating dwindle down each year, as soon as snow and ice cover their outdoor parks. But now a new partnership at the Seven Points mall hopes to change that.

“This is kind of a test pilot, something like this, an indoor temporary pop-up park, has never been done in the Twin Cities before,” JSAW business operations manager Ben VanOss said. “We’ve got quarter pipes, we’ve got kickers, we’ve got boxes, we’ve got a bump to bar that we just installed, we’ve got flat bar rails, round bar rails.”

Until the end of April, VanOss has essentially created a skateboarder’s paradise. It’s called the Uptown Park Project, and it was all made possible by J Saw, a Twin Cities-based nonprofit that is focused on serving the action sports community. The skate park is open on weekday nights, and throughout most of the day on Saturday.

“This is all just a service project,” VanOss continued. “We’re not making any money on this, we charge $5 for admission, just to help cover.”

JSAW’s skateboarders have made a new home of the former H&M clothing store in Uptown. Since December, dozens of them are putting the two-story 9,000 square foot space to good use; to keep their skills sharp through the winter.

“I would never expect there to be a park in here, so when I heard about it, I got pretty excited,” skater Samuel Atwood said. “The mall is not doing that well, so we’re just trying to make stuff happen and it’s good.”

With the help of generous donors, now JSAW hopes to expand the pop-up skate park each winter in years to come.

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