Man, 34, is charged in two-year-old’s 2016 drive-by shooting death in Minnesota after witnesses came forward to say he had a grudge against the boy’s father

Prosecutors have charged a man in a 2016 drive-by shooting in Minneapolis that killed a two-year-old boy.

Chris Welch, 34, was charged Monday in Hennepin County court with second-degree murder in the death of Le’Vonte King Jason Jones.

Investigators had long believed Welch fired the fatal bullet that stuck the boy on July 8, 2016, in north Minneapolis.

Welch and Le’Vonte’s father, Melvonte Peterson, who was his mother’s boyfriend, are believed to have exchanged fire from their respective vehicles.

Welch is believed to have had a grudge against Peterson who is alleged to have stolen from him.

Surveillance footage of the area where the shooting took place shows Le’Vonte’s father, a then 25-year-old Peterson, pulling up in minivan next to a black Chevy Impala near an intersection. Le’Vonte and his 15-month-old sister were riding in the back of the van.

The police department’s SH๏τ Spotter then recorded two gun sH๏τs. Seconds later, there were nine more sH๏τs – but it wasn’t clear who fired first.

Le’Vonte was hit in the chest and died from his injuries, while his sister was hit in the leg.

Welch was initially arrested in 2016 over the shooting but was later released due to a lack of evidence. However, recently witnesses came forward to inform police that Peterson had stolen from Welch, and Welch had also previously said he would kill Peterson.

Police also spoke with several additional witnesses who were with, or spoke with Welch about the shooting, although the first major breakthrough came last year after investigators re-interviewed people who had been with Welch on the day of the shooting itself.

In January, homicide detectives received cellphone records that placed Welch in the area around the time of the shooting.

Their findings lead to the 2nd-degree murder charges being filed on Monday.

Welch is currently serving a federal prison term on unrelated gun charges and is scheduled for release in 2033.

It wasn’t immediately clear if he has an attorney to comment on his behalf.

‘We know that violence in any community affects everyone,’ Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said at a news conference. ‘This case, however, involved the most vulnerable of our community, and that’s our children. When children are sH๏τ and killed, our entire city mourns.’

‘If you ask about cases in which we in law enforcement take the extra step, the extra concern in investigation and consideration of charging, this is one of them,’ said County Attorney Mike Freeman.

LeShae Jones told the Star Tribune that while the charges won’t bring her son back, she’s ‘relieved’ the man accused of killing him will answer for his actions.

‘Today feels like the beginning of what justice could look like,’ he said. ‘I’m thankful for the persistency of the Minneapolis Police Department and the County Attorney’s Office for not giving up and for staying committed to LeShae and our family during his time,’ Rev. Danny Givens, Le’Vonte’s first cousin, said.

Peterson was arrested in January 2017 for the murder, manslaughter and neglect of his own son, but the case was thrown out by a judge, which criticized the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office for bringing the charges.