A Minneapolis man has been charged with shooting a gun at other motorists in two separate road rage incidents in St. Paul recently, including one that involved another vehicle with children inside.

On Monday, the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office charged James Allen Ameer Smith, 22, with multiple felony counts, including assaulting a 6-year-old with a dangerous weapon firearm, drive-by shooting and second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon.

In all, Smith was charged with eight felony counts in connection with the road rage incidents in October and November. In both, Smith allegedly tailgated drivers and then became angry and fired a gun at them.

The criminal complaint gave the following details about the October incident:

At 8:50 p.m. on Oct. 12, a man reported that while in his Jeep with two children, his vehicle had been struck by a bullet while he was driving east on Summit Avenue near Lexington Parkway in St. Paul.

He said that a driver of a black sedan was tailgating his Jeep and that when he tapped his breaks, the sedan accelerated and passed him, driving in the oncoming traffic lane. Then the sedan’s driver suddenly came to a near stop near the Governor’s Residence on Summit. The Jeep driver passed the sedan, but then that driver again went into the oncoming traffic lane to pass the Jeep.

As they neared Dale Street, the sedan braked hard and came to a stop. Again, the Jeep passed the sedan. As it did, the car’s driver fired a gun and a bullet struck the Jeep. The Jeep driver sped away. His two children — ages 6 and 9 — were in the vehicle when it was hit. No one was injured.

Investigators found a bullet hole in the front passenger door of the Jeep and saw where the bullet had grazed and made contact with the center console. Surveillance video near the Governor’s Residence captured part of the incident.

At about 8 a.m. on Nov. 14, another driver, a 33-year-old man, reported a road rage incident to St. Paul police, saying he had been shot at by another driver and that his car had been hit by a bullet.

According to the criminal complaint:

The 33-year-old victim said that while he was driving south on Snelling Avenue near Selby Avenue a man driving a black Nissan began tailgating him. The driver “brake checked the Nissan to get the other car to back off,” according to the complaint.

When the driver turned east onto Selby, the Nissan driver pulled up beside him, rolled down his window, fired a gun and then sped away. The driver followed the Nissan while calling 911and reporting the Nissan’s license plate number. The man followed the Nissan until a state trooper appeared.

Officers saw a bullet hole in the front driver’s side fender.

The Nissan was registered to Smith, whose driving record showed a crash and speeding citations beginning in May 2023.

Authorities found that Smith’s cellphone location could be traced to the shooting on Oct. 12. Surveillance video from that shooting showed damage to the front left fender of a Nissan at that crime scene. Smith’s Nissan had the same damage.

Further investigation showed there was another alleged gun-pointing incident with the same Nissan last week. When a driver braked to get the Nissan driver’s attention, the sedan’s driver pointed a gun at the person, the complaint said.

‘I hate driving’

Smith was arrested Thursday driving the Nissan in St. Louis Park.

At the time of his arrest, he was wearing an empty gun holster. While serving a search warrant, officers found a spent bullet casing on the driver’s side floor, three live rounds of ammunition in the center console, a live round of ammunition on floor behind the driver’s seat and a loaded Glock handgun beneath the front passenger’s seat.

Smith told authorities he didn’t recall a road rage incident with a Jeep but, “If they are saying it’s my car then I guess it happened.”

He further said,  “I hate driving — all it has caused me is problems — tickets at least for speeding.”

When Smith was told the driver of the Jeep was shot at, he asked, “Is he OK?” When told that there was both a 6-year-old and a 9-year-old in the vehicle during the Oct. 12 incident, Smith asked if the children were OK.

When asked if he recalled shooting at the Jeep, Smith said, “I don’t — I would recall that.”

When asked what happened, Smith again asked if the children were OK and then requested to speak with a lawyer.

Smith remained in custody at the Ramsey County jail Monday.

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