MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A 32-year-old Richfield man has been charged in connection to Tuesday morning’s fatal shooting of Cortney Henry, 29, outside of a Lakeville day care center.
The Dakota County Attorney’s Office announced Thursday that Atravius Joseph Weeks faces one count of intentional second-degree murder.
Atravius Weeks (credit: Dakota County)
According to the criminal complaint, a woman had called Belle Plaine police around 1:15 a.m. on Tuesday to report a protection order violation at her apartment. She said her ex-boyfriend, later identified as Weeks, was pounding on the walls of her building.
She reported that he had a gun and feared she would die if he was able to get inside the building. She also said that Weeks had messaged her, saying he had shot himself.
Later, the woman told police that Weeks had said that on June 16, he and Henry had broken up.
Officers arrived on scene to find the silver Audi Weeks had arrived in parked in the lot. He had fled on foot before their arrival.
The complaint goes on to say that the officers found a large amount of blood inside the car, as well as a 9mm casing in the passenger seat. When they followed the blood trail, they found that the door handle to a utility room on the far side of the building had been damaged and the key card access reader to the apartment had been pulled off the wall.
Police then spoke to Weeks on the phone, who agreed to meet them back at the apartment. He came carrying a 9mm handgun and told officers he had shot himself. Weeks complied with officers’ commands to drop the weapon.
While the officers were treating his wound and waiting for medics, Weeks allegedly said “I just killed my best friend.” He admitted that Henry was outside a day care facility in Lakeville and he had shot her seven times.
Officers were then dispatched to the Lakeville day care, where they found Henry’s body and nine shell casings.
Weeks is in custody with a $2 million bond. If convicted, he faces up to 40 years in prison.
If you are in an abusive relationship, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. All calls are free and confidential. You can also call 360 Communities, which serves Dakota County at 952-985-5300 or online at http://www.360Communities.org.