Charges Filed In Fatal Shooting Of Woman Found Outside Daycare

LAKEVILLE, MN — A man has been charged in connection with the fatal shooting of Cortney Grace Henry, 29 outside a daycare facility Tuesday morning, according to a criminal complaint filed against him in the State of Minnesota’s 1st Judicial District Court.

Atravius Joseph Weeks, 32 of Richfield, was charged with one count of second degree murder in connection with the shooting, the complaint said. If convicted, Weeks could face up to 40 years in prison, the complaint said.

Officers responded to a report of a violation of an Order of Protection in Belle Plaine, police said. The caller, not Henry, said that Weeks was banging on the outside of her building and that he had a gun, according to police. Police said that she told them she also received a message from Weeks saying he shot himself.

When officers got to the apartment complex, they learned that Weeks had run away, police said. Officers found Weeks’ car in the parking lot and saw a lot of blood and a 9 mm ammunition casing in the passenger seat, police said.

Officers then called Weeks and convinced him to come back to the apartment complex, and when he returned they saw he was carrying a firearm, police said. Weeks’ forehead and clothes were covered in blood and he told officers he had shot himself in the head, police said.

Police said that Weeks told them, “I just killed my best friend,” while they treated his forehead wound and waited for medics. Weeks told officers the location of the shooting and identified the victim as Henry, saying he shot her seven times, police said.

According to the witnesses' statement to police, Weeks and Henry had recently broken up, police said.