St. Cloud Man Convicted of Gun Assault After Dispute

ST. CLOUD (WJON NEWS) -- A St. Cloud man has been found guilty in a shooting incident that severely injured another man in 2024.

After a four-day jury trial, a Stearns County jury convicted 28-year-old Lara Tetyang Puok of 1st-degree assault with a gun, causing great bodily harm.

Puok was accused of shooting another man outside an apartment building on Rivercrest Drive in October 2024. The shooting followed an argument between Puok and the victim.

According to the charges, after the two exchanged punches, Puok pulled a handgun out of his waistband, racked the chamber, and fired a shot as the victim turned to run away.

After shooting the victim, Puok fled the scene. The victim was brought to the hospital with a spinal cord injury that was affecting the use of his legs.

Puok will now be sentenced on August 6th.

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