Coon Rapids Teen Charged with Attempted Murder in Botched Vape Robbery

Coon Rapids Teen Charged with Attempted Murder in Botched Vape Robbery

A 16-year-old boy has been charged with attempted murder and first-degree assault following a shooting in Coon Rapids that left an 18-year-old critically injured. Prosecutors are charging Nasiah Edward Hinton, of Coon Rapids, as an adult in the case.

The incident occurred around 9 p.m. on September 27, 2024, near the intersection of 113th Avenue Northwest and Robinson Drive Northwest. According to the criminal complaint, the victim and a female companion were sitting in a car when an armed assailant approached, demanded their belongings, and opened fire after the victim refused to hand over his phone and wallet.

The 18-year-old victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds — to his bicep, chest, and arm — with one bullet passing through his arm and into his chest, stopping just millimeters from his heart. He was hospitalized and survived.

Investigators say the shooting stemmed from a planned meeting to sell “Geek Bars” — disposable vape pens that often contain THC. The victim told police he had arranged the exchange through the messaging app Telegram. When the victim identified the assailant’s photo from his phone, a school liaison officer and assistant principal recognized the suspect as Hinton.

Police arrested Hinton at school on September 30. A subsequent search of his home uncovered two handguns, a vape stick, and a THC cartridge.

Hinton now faces charges of first-degree attempted murder — which in Minnesota requires proof of premeditated intent to kill — and first-degree assault. Each charge carries a potential maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Prosecutors emphasized the seriousness of the case, citing the close proximity of the gunshot wound to the victim’s heart as evidence of the danger posed.

Hinton’s case is proceeding in Anoka County District Court.

MinneapoliMedia