Insets, left to right: Jorden Boehm (GoFundMe) and Myron Johanson (Wilkin County Jail). Background: The home in Wolverton, Minnesota, where Johanson allegedly shot Boehm to death (Google Maps).
A Minnesota man has been detained following a tragic incident at a New Year’s celebration where he allegedly placed a firearm under another man’s neck and asked, “Do you trust me?” before the gun discharged, resulting in the man’s death, authorities report.
The Wilkin County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting just before 1 a.m. on Thursday in the 1700 block of Highway 77 in Wolverton, located in western Minnesota near the North Dakota border. Upon arrival, they discovered 22-year-old Jorden Boehm with a fatal gunshot wound to the neck. Paramedics declared him dead at the scene. According to a probable cause affidavit, 26-year-old Myron Johanson had been hosting a gathering of approximately 10 people.
As the affidavit outlines, the party was amicable, but witnesses noted that Johanson had been handling a firearm. Throughout the evening, he reportedly brandished the weapon and pointed it at various guests. One attendee recounted that Johanson approached him, removed the magazine, aimed the gun at his head, and questioned, “Do you trust me?” The attendee replied, “f— no, I don’t,” and pushed the weapon away, according to the affidavit.
Johanson then allegedly reloaded the weapon and chambered a round. He subsequently approached Boehm, placed the gun under his neck, and repeated the question, “Do you trust me?” The firearm discharged, striking Boehm in the neck, police stated. A witness overheard Johanson exclaim, “Oh s—, call 911.”
After being read his Miranda rights, Johanson reportedly confessed to accidentally shooting Boehm. He is said to have secured the weapon before placing it in his bedroom and contacting 911.
Authorities arrested Johanson on charges of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. He is currently held without bail at the Wilkin County Jail.
Boehm’s mother Michelle Sanger told local NBC affiliate KVLY that her son was a good person.
“He was a very happy kid, very happy kid. I mean, he struggled, I guess once in a while, but he was a very happy kid. He was always there to help anybody and everybody who needed it,” she said.
