Charges Filed in St. Cloud Shooting That Left Man Severely Injured
A St. Cloud man is charged with two felonies after allegedly shooting another man during an altercation outside an apartment complex.
Authorities say they were dispatched around 1:55 a.m. on Oct. 19, 2024, to a report of gunfire at a residence on Rivercrest Drive.
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Shortly afterward, a victim arrived at St. Cloud Hospital with multiple gunshot wounds. Medical staff reported significant injuries, including bone fragments and a bullet lodged in his spinal canal, leaving him with minimal mobility in his right leg. The victim was intubated and remains sedated as of publication following emergency surgery
Investigators learned that two women brought the victim to the hospital and, according to their initial account, the victim was outside the apartment when they heard a gunshot. After finding the victim injured in the grass, he told the witnesses that he had been shot and that his legs weren’t working.
Further investigation revealed that the shooting followed an escalating argument involving the defendant, 26-year-old Lara Tetyang Puok. Witnesses said Puok accused the victim of assaulting his nephew. During the confrontation, Puok reportedly hit the victim, who then retaliated before Puok drew a firearm from his waistband and racked the slide. As the victim tried to flee, Puok allegedly fired the gun, striking the victim.
After the shooting, Puok and two other people fled in a white vehicle. Surveillance footage from a nearby liquor store corroborates that Puok was with the group earlier in the evening.
Authorities issued a nationwide warrant for Puok, citing flight risks and public safety concerns. Online records show Puok was taken into custody Monday evening in Des Moines, Iowa.
If convicted, Puok faces up to 20 years in prison for the first-degree assault charge. His second charge involving the use of a firearm during an assault carries a maximum sentence of seven years.
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