Suspect Arrested In Connection Gunshot Sustained By Firefighting Plane In Northern Minnesota

During the height of numerous wildfire firefighting efforts across Northern Minnesota on Saturday, we learned that the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office was investigating a situation involving a firefighting plane sustaining a gunshot.

As dozens of fires burned over the weekend across the Northland, St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay shared on Saturday that the department was "working hard" to find the individual or individuals behind a bullet hole in a firebomber during a Friday evening fire in far Northern Minnesota.

The plane was gathering water from Kjostad Lake while battling a fire near Orr, Minnesota, when it was believed to have sustained a gunshot. The plane safely made it to the Hibbing Airport without incident, and the pilot was thankfully not injured.

After the Sheriff's Office put out the call for the public's help in gathering information on the incident, a suspect was arrested on Sunday evening.

A 48-year-old male named Daniel Pettit was arrested and booked into the St. Louis County Jail on Sunday evening on three different felony charges.

The charges are:

• Second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon
• First-degree damage to property with foreseeable risk of bodily harm
• Reckless discharge of a firearm within a municipality

The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office says Oettit was arrested at his residence in Portage Township near Orr, Minnesota, on Sunday evening.

A search warrant was executed at his residence, and during the search, they found several firearms and ammunition, which were seized.

The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office says they do not believe there is an ongoing threat to the public and reminds everyone that interfering with firefighting aircraft endangers not only the pilots, but also firefighters and the public.

The FAA, FBI, Minnesota DNR, Minnesota BCA, Minnesota State Patrol, Duluth Police, and Superior Police Departments are also involved in the investigation.