An 81-year-old man in Minnesota is facing multiple charges after allegedly shooting the owner of a Subway restaurant — a man he reportedly had been feuding with for years.
William Piar has been charged with first-degree attempted murder, attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault, and two counts of second-degree assault, according to local reports, including the Rochester Post Bulletin.
The incident occurred Wednesday near the 1300 block of North Lakeshore Drive in Lake City, along the Mississippi River roughly 70 miles south of Minneapolis. Authorities said Piar lived behind the Subway restaurant and other nearby businesses.
According to a criminal complaint obtained by local radio station KROC, Piar began firing a gun at the restaurant at around 1:30 p.m. The shop’s owner, whose name has not been released, was struck in the abdomen. Police say the two men had a long history of “property disputes.”
When officers arrived, they found Piar in his backyard wearing a black coat and stocking cap. He initially refused to show his hands, keeping his right hand in his coat pocket and responding “No” to police commands.
Officers then deployed a “less than lethal” shotgun loaded with bean bag rounds, striking Piar and causing him to reveal a dark-colored firearm. Despite further commands to drop the weapon, Piar refused and reportedly asked officers to shoot him. Additional bean bag rounds were fired until he finally fell to the ground, dropping the gun and sustaining a heavily bleeding injury to his left hand.
After Piar was taken into custody and treated for his injury, officers turned their attention to the shooting victim, who was found inside an apartment attached to the restaurant. He was lying on the floor holding a towel to his abdomen, with a significant amount of blood visible. His wife, children, and Subway employees were present at the scene. The victim was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries; his current condition has not been disclosed.
Piar appeared in Goodhue County court on Friday and was given $2 million bail. He is scheduled to return to court next month. Authorities believe there were customers inside the restaurant at the time of the shooting.