A man accused of shooting a neighbor in Minneapolis had a history of threats and harassment

An arrest warrant has been issued for a Minneapolis man following a year of harassment and intimidation against his neighbors that culminated in a shooting earlier this week, court documents say.

John Herbert Sawchak, 54, is charged with attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault, stalking and bias harassment.

A criminal complaint says the victim, Davis Moturi, was trimming a tree near the property line of Sawchak's home Wednesday evening when it fell to the ground. Moturi's wife later found him curled up in the entrance of their home and he did not know at the time that he had been shot.

A medical examination revealed that he had been shot with a small-caliber bullet that lodged near Moturi's spine. The angle of the stab wound indicated that he had been shot from above. Moturi's wife told police that Sawchak “almost certainly” shot her husband, the complaint states.

The couple purchased their home in the 3500 block of Grand Avenue South in September 2023. They have since told police they have faced numerous threats from Sawchak, who lives in a second-floor apartment next door.

The week before the shooting, Sawchak had allegedly told Moturi, “Touch my tree again and I will kill you.” He had already threatened Moturi over the tree in October 2023.

Other incidents included threatening to “take the victim to the hospital” while he was working on a ladder, throwing objects at his second-story window and threateningly holding a knife in his window while threatening the couple. On October 14, Sawchak pointed a gun at the victim from his window. According to the complaint, many of the threats included racial slurs and slurs.

In total, Moturi and his wife had reported 19 incidents of vandalism, property damage, harassment and threats in the year they lived next door.

Online prison records show that Sawchak has not yet been taken into custody. Court records show he has at least three other outstanding warrants related to “threats or acts of violence” against the victim and his neighbors.