A Moorhead mother is raising alarms after her young son was targeted at a local soccer field, leaving him covered in welts and without his scooter.
Ginny said the attack happened on June 11 at South Moorhead soccer fields, where a group of juveniles repeatedly shot her son with a gel blaster and took off with his scooter.
When she turned to the police for help, she said the response left her frustrated and searching for answers.
Ginny counted more than 15 raised welts on her son’s back after the incident. She took to social media to warn other parents before sharing her story publicly with Valley News Live.
She wants the community to understand what happened and to start paying closer attention to what is going on at local parks this summer.
Moorhead police confirmed that a report was filed and that juveniles aged 12 and 13 were identified in connection with the attack. The department said the case would be referred to the Clay County Attorney’s Office once the investigation is complete, though officers declined to speak on camera about the specifics.
A Coming Law Is Changing What Families Can Expect
What makes this case more complicated is a Minnesota law set to take effect on August 1 that will prohibit criminal charges from being filed against children under the age of 13.
For many parents following this story, that detail stings. With the suspects falling right around that age threshold, the family is left navigating a legal landscape that offers limited options through the traditional criminal process.
Fargo attorney Brian Toay explained that families are not completely without a path forward. A civil process called CHIPS, which stands for child in need of protection services, can be pursued through the courts.
Under that framework, a judge can assess what intervention the child and their family need to address the behavior and prevent future incidents. It pulls parents into the process rather than simply filing charges and walking away.
Still, for a mother who watched her son come home bruised and shaken, the distinction between criminal and civil processes does little to ease the immediate frustration. She said she hopes other parents will look into what this new law means for their own communities and press local officials with questions before August arrives.
Moorhead police noted they have seen a slow but steady increase in gel blaster-related incidents in recent years.
Longtime park visitor Ricky Mylander said he has noticed more troubling behavior around the fields and now keeps a sharper eye out whenever he brings his grandchildren to the area.
Community members responding online echoed the family’s concerns, with several pointing out that many park conflicts this summer never make the news at all. Others noted that civil options like assault filings and protection orders remain available regardless of age.
The investigation remains open. Moorhead police say they are continuing to look into the incident.
