Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Rochester man has entered guilty pleas to a pair of felony charges connected to a shooting that occurred on Christmas Eve last year.

According to the criminal complaint, Rochester police responded to a reported shooting around 9:40 PM on December 24, 2024. An officer was sent to the 6100 block of Shetland Drive Northwest and spoke with the residents, who reported that they were sitting downstairs when they heard the sound of glass breaking.

photo by Andy Brownell

The responding officer was then directed to a bedroom in the back corner of the house where there was a bullet hole in a window. The court document says one of the residents showed the officer where the bullet struck a mirror and then ricocheted into the room where the occupants of the home had been sitting.

He Previously Served on the Rochester Charter Commission

The criminal complaint says an off-duty officer called in and reported hearing one or more gunshots coming from an area west of the house that was struck by the bullet. Police officers then approached a home in that area and were met by 25-year-old Benjamin Allen Harris and his parents.

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The parents invited the officers inside and were shown a video that had been sent by Harris to his mother that showed him exiting an upstairs bathroom holding a firearm and racking the weapon, causing bullets to exit the chamber. The court document says the parents then consented to a search of the bathroom.

According to the charges filed against Harris, the search resulted in the discovery of nearly 50 rounds of 9 mm ammunition under the sink along with multiple containers of well over 50 grams of powdery substances, some of which tested positive for cocaine. The officers also seized more than 30 grams of amphetamines, quantities of suspected ketamine, numerous pills, and a variety of scales and other items indicative of drug sales. The officers also reported finding a bag containing $376 in cash under the sink.

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Harris was charged with first-degree drug possession, illegal possession of any firearm/ammunition by a person convicted of a crime of violence, and a gross misdemeanor count of possession of a firearm or ammunition by a user of controlled substances. The criminal complaint notes that Harris was convicted in juvenile court of a second-degree arson charge about 10 years ago.

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He entered into a plea agreement today and admitted to a third-degree drug possession charge and a felony count of discharge of a dangerous weapon. Harris is scheduled to be sentenced in June.

City of Rochester records show that Harris was previously a member of the Rochester Charter Commission. The minutes from a meeting held in January show that Harris was formally removed from the commission in December "due to failure to perform the duties of the office."

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