DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth police arrested a 42-year-old Chicago man Tuesday in connection with a weekend shooting downtown that left two people with minor injuries.

Michael Triplett was arrested on suspicion of three counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, intentionally discharging a firearm under circumstances that endangered another person, recklessly discharging a firearm within a municipality and possessing a firearm as a prohibited person. The charges were pending Tuesday.

Police said an officer working downtown heard what appeared to be gunfire at about 1:27 a.m. Saturday. At approximately the same time, dispatchers received a 911 report of a shooting in the 100 block of West First Street.

Officers found several people in the area, including two with minor, superficial injuries that were not considered life-threatening. One person declined medical treatment, while the other was transported by ambulance to a Duluth hospital.

Investigators determined that a suspect had fired several rounds into the sidewalk before fleeing on foot.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact the Duluth Police Department’s Violent Crimes Unit at 218-730-5050.

NORTH STAR TOWNSHIP, Minn. — An 18-year-old man was arrested after authorities said he fired two rounds from a handgun during an altercation at a bonfire early Aug. 9.

St. Louis County sheriff’s deputies responded to the area of Pequaywan Lake Road and Fox Farm Road after receiving a report that someone had fired a gun toward another person. Authorities said several young adults were gathered at a bonfire off Fox Farm Road when the suspect and his friends arrived.

The suspect and his friends were asked to leave because he had ongoing conflicts with several people at the gathering, according to authorities. Investigators allege the man fired two rounds from a handgun during the ensuing confrontation. No injuries were reported.

Deputies recovered a 9 mm handgun and several rounds of ammunition. The man was booked into the St. Louis County Jail on allegations of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, terroristic threats and carrying a pistol without a permit. His name was not released.

DULUTH, Minn. — Willie Howard has been named head coach of the Minnesota Monsters and will continue serving as the team’s general manager, owner Jacob Lambert announced.

The appointment is effective immediately and gives Howard responsibility for the team’s front-office operations and on-field performance.

“Willie has demonstrated the leadership, football knowledge, and commitment needed to build the Minnesota Monsters into a winning organization,” Lambert said. “By expanding his role to head coach while he continues as general manager, we are putting a clear and unified vision in place for our players, staff, fans, and partners.”

Howard will oversee roster construction, player personnel, coaching staff development, game preparation and the team’s competitive direction. The Monsters said combining the positions is intended to align personnel decisions with the team’s on-field approach and establish clearer lines of accountability.

“I am grateful to Jacob Lambert and the Minnesota Monsters organization for the opportunity and confidence,” Howard said. “Our focus begins immediately: establishing a disciplined, physical, and exciting brand of football that Minnesota can be proud to support. We will build this team with the right people, the right culture, and a commitment to competing every time we take the field.”

Howard said the structure will allow the team’s offensive and defensive coordinators to concentrate on developing their respective units. He will manage the team’s broader responsibilities while working to ensure both coordinators have the personnel and support they need.

“This structure allows our offensive coordinator to focus on dominating the offensive side of the football and our defensive coordinator to focus on dominating the defensive side,” Howard said. “My responsibility is to make sure they have what they need to do that while I handle the other logistics, maintain the overall direction of our football program, and make sure everyone is aligned. We are going to establish a standard within this organization, and that standard will not be compromised. There will be clarity in our expectations, accountability in our actions, and purpose behind everything we do.”

Howard also plans to continue his work with Cooper High School and Robbinsdale Area Schools District 281. The Monsters said the team’s operational structure will give Howard the flexibility to remain involved with students, families and athletics in the school community.

“My commitment to Cooper High School and the 281 community remains incredibly important to me,” Howard said. “Having the flexibility to continue serving that community while leading the Minnesota Monsters as general manager and head coach is truly a match made in heaven. Both roles are about people, relationships, accountability, developing leaders, and creating a standard people can believe in. It gives me an opportunity to lead in two spaces that I am passionate about and allows my leadership to have an impact well beyond the football field.”

The Monsters said additional announcements about the coaching staff, player personnel and other team developments will be made in the coming weeks.

Stella Maris Academy’s trap shooting program began with four athletes, no senior class and virtually none of the infrastructure established teams take for granted.

Four seasons later, the Sentinels have grown into a program that can attract as many as 25 to 30 shooters, produce individual state contenders and win a division championship at one of the largest high school shooting competitions in the country.

Head coach Rolf Flaig believes the program is only beginning to show what it can become.

“It’s already been a fun journey,” Flaig said.

The journey began during the first year of Stella Maris’ new high school, when the academy included only junior high students and a ninth-grade class. The trap shooters competed initially as a club team while the school built its academic and athletic programs from the ground up.

When Stella Maris entered official high school clay target competition it was one shooter short of the five required to qualify for team competition at the Minnesota Trap Shooting Championship.

“We have grown considerably since then,” Flaig said.

Assistant coach Brandon Kime joined the staff during the program’s second year, helping Flaig recruit, teach and develop a roster dominated by younger shooters. Participation eventually climbed into the 25-to-30-athlete range, giving Stella Maris enough depth to field shooters across novice, junior varsity and varsity competition.

That growth produced its most significant result last spring at the Minnesota Trap Shooting Championship in Alexandria when Stella Maris won the Class 2A novice team championship with a score of 322.

Carter Evavold-Bolf led the Sentinels and finished fourth in the individual Class 2A standings. Hannah Kime and Evelyn Henderson also emerged from the competition as important members of a young group Flaig expects to anchor the program’s next stage.

The Alexandria championship brought together more than 350 high school teams and more than 8,000 athletes for nine days of competition. Each shooter completed 100 targets, with the same score used for individual and team standings. Teams competed against schools with comparable participation numbers in novice, junior varsity and varsity divisions.

Stella Maris, winning a division championship represented a substantial step forward.

The Sentinels remain exceptionally young. Stella Maris graduated its inaugural senior class last spring, but only one senior departed from the trap team. Flaig expects this fall’s roster to include approximately three or four seniors.

Two of the team’s three captains, Joe Gannucci and Christopher Gannucci, are expected to return. Their experience will be important as the coaches continue moving younger shooters into larger competitive roles.

Trap shooting’s coed format also has helped Stella Maris build its roster without separating athletes into boys and girls teams. Every shooter faces the same targets and competes under the same scoring system.

That gives Kime, Henderson and other young female shooters the opportunity to contribute directly to the Sentinels’ overall team score. It also places every roster member in competition for the same lineup positions and individual honors.

The challenge this fall will be converting the program’s increased participation and Alexandria success into consistently stronger scores throughout the roster. Trap rewards repeatable mechanics, concentration and the ability to immediately dismiss a missed target. One poor round can undo several weeks of strong shooting, while improved depth can separate competitive teams from those dependent upon one or two leading scores.

The 2026 fall season will include five competition weeks beginning Sept. 20. Subsequent rounds begin Sept. 27, Oct. 4, Oct. 11 and Oct. 18, with final results scheduled to be posted Oct. 26.

Flaig and Brandon Kime will use the weeks leading into competition to reinforce safety, shooting mechanics and the mental discipline required to produce consistent rounds. The coaches also must determine how quickly Stella Maris’ successful novice shooters are prepared to advance against more experienced competition.

“Coach Kime and I continue to work hard as we prepare for this year’s fall season and we are excited that this will be our best season yet,” Flaig said.

The program’s expectations have changed along with its numbers. Stella Maris no longer is trying merely to assemble enough shooters to compete or establish trap shooting as a viable school activity.

The Sentinels now have returning captains, increasing roster depth and a championship-tested young core. The next objective is to prove that last spring’s breakthrough in Alexandria was the beginning of something sustainable.

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth police arrested a 42-year-old Chicago man Tuesday in connection with a weekend shooting downtown that left two people with minor injuries.

Michael Triplett was arrested on suspicion of three counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, intentionally discharging a firearm under circumstances that endangered another person, recklessly discharging a firearm within a municipality and possessing a firearm as a prohibited person. The charges were pending Tuesday.

Police said an officer working downtown heard what appeared to be gunfire at about 1:27 a.m. Saturday. At approximately the same time, dispatchers received a 911 report of a shooting in the 100 block of West First Street.

Officers found several people in the area, including two with minor, superficial injuries that were not considered life-threatening. One person declined medical treatment, while the other was transported by ambulance to a Duluth hospital.

Investigators determined that a suspect had fired several rounds into the sidewalk before fleeing on foot.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact the Duluth Police Department’s Violent Crimes Unit at 218-730-5050.

Business and community leaders have outlined a proposed five-year strategy designed to improve quality of life in downtown Duluth by addressing what they describe as four closely connected challenges: low-level crime, homelessness, drug abuse and untreated mental illness.

The plan argues that while each issue presents its own challenges, they often overlap and require a coordinated response involving law enforcement, social service providers, businesses and local government rather than isolated solutions.

Under the proposal, quality-of-life concerns include low-level offenses such as trespassing, property damage, vandalism, loitering and theft. Supporters of the strategy say those issues, combined with visible homelessness, substance abuse and untreated mental illness, have contributed to public perceptions that discourage residents, visitors and businesses from spending time downtown.

The proposal calls for expanding the downtown Clean and Safe Team, which provides ambassadors and outreach services intended to improve cleanliness, enhance safety and connect individuals with available resources. Supporters say a larger presence could improve the daily experience for workers, residents and visitors while providing more opportunities to engage people experiencing homelessness or behavioral health crises.

Another major component focuses on increasing the number of people living downtown. The proposal argues that a larger residential population would create more consistent activity throughout the day and evening, strengthen neighborhood connections and support restaurants, retailers and other businesses.

Public safety also plays a central role in the strategy. The proposal calls for a stronger police presence throughout downtown while enhancing security around the Duluth Transportation Center, an area frequently identified by business owners and community members as a location requiring additional attention.

Recognizing that enforcement alone cannot resolve many of the underlying issues, the plan also recommends improving coordination among mental health providers and expanding access to treatment for individuals experiencing behavioral health challenges. Supporters say earlier intervention and better coordination could reduce repeated contacts with emergency responders while helping people access long-term care.

The proposal further recommends efforts to reduce drug abuse by limiting access to illegal drugs and reducing the availability of drug paraphernalia, including used needles and glass pipes, while encouraging treatment and recovery services.

Business leaders are also urging downtown organizations to communicate with what the proposal describes as "one voice," presenting consistent priorities when working with city officials, public safety agencies and community organizations.

The strategy also incorporates the recently announced Pathways initiative, introduced in June by CHUM, Damiano Center and Union Gospel Mission. The collaborative effort is intended to better coordinate services for people experiencing homelessness while creating more effective pathways to housing, treatment, employment and long-term stability.

Supporters say the proposed five-year plan is intended to balance public safety with compassion, emphasizing that lasting improvements will require investments in enforcement, housing, behavioral health and addiction treatment working together rather than independently.

If implemented, proponents say the strategy would seek to strengthen public confidence in downtown Duluth while improving safety, supporting businesses and expanding opportunities for residents experiencing homelessness, addiction and mental illness to receive coordinated care and services.

A 54-year-old man was arrested Wednesday after investigators said they observed him selling drugs in the 200 block of No. 2 Alley in Downtown Duluth.

Michael Clark was booked into the St. Louis County Jail pending charges of second-degree sale of fentanyl and second-degree sale of methamphetamine, according to the Lake Superior Violent Offender Task Force.

Investigators reported seizing 5.6 grams of fentanyl and 3.6 grams of methamphetamine during a search following the arrest. The drugs were packaged for sale, authorities said.

Clark was on probation for felony domestic assault and third-degree possession of fentanyl at the time of his arrest, according to the task force.