The man accused of shooting a neighbor in Minneapolis had a history of threats, harassment

An arrest warrant has been issued for a Minneapolis man after a yearlong pattern of harassment and intimidation by his neighbors ended in a shooting earlier this week, according to court documents.

John Herbert Souchak, 54, was charged with attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault, stalking and bias-motivated assault.

The victim, Davis Moturi, installed a security camera in his home to capture evidence of the escalating threats. Video of the incident Wednesday night shows him trimming a tree near the property line with Savchuk’s apartment building before a “bang.” Then the victim falls to the ground.

“I thought, ‘I need help.’ A part of my brain shut off,” Davis Moturi told 5 EYE-WITNESS NEWS from his hospital bed on Friday.

He called his wife, Caroline Motura, who rushed home.

“I found him — he was in the driveway, curled up in a fetal position in agony,” Caroline Moturi said.

She took the man to the hospital, but he did not realize that he had been shot.

According to the criminal complaint, a medical examination revealed that Davis Moturi was shot by a small-caliber bullet that lodged near his spine. The angle of the stab wound indicated that he was shot from above, and the bullet went through his neck before breaking his spine and at least two ribs.

Caroline Moturi told police Sawczak “almost certainly” shot her husband, according to the complaint.

A year of threats

In September 2023, the couple purchased their home in the 3500 block of Grand Avenue South. Since then, they told police they have faced numerous threats from Sauchak, who lives in a nearby second-floor apartment.

“It’s been hell,” Davis Moturi said of the ongoing ordeal.

A week before the shooting, Savchak allegedly told Motura: “Touch my tree one more time and I’ll kill you.” He threatened Davis Motura through a tree back in October 2023.

Other incidents included threats to “put the victim in hospital” while he was working on a ladder, having objects thrown at him from a second floor window and threateningly holding a knife in the window while threatening a couple. Recently, on October 14, Savchak pointed a gun at the victim from the window. Many of the threats were laced with racial slurs and slurs, according to the complaint.

A total of 19 incidents of vandalism, property damage, aggressive acts and threats were reported to the Moturis in the year they lived in the neighborhood.

“I’ve had to call the police so many times,” Davis told Moturi.

Months without arrest

Online documents show that Savchak 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 her neighbors.

Hennepin County District Attorney spokeswoman Mary Moriarty said her office charged Sawczak with threats of violence back in July “due to his conduct toward Mr. Moturi” and issued a warrant for his arrest. During Wednesday’s filing of charges in connection with the shooting, prosecutors learned of several incidents that occurred after the warrant was issued.

“Mr. Moturi and his wife suffered from Mr. Sawchak’s aggressive behavior for more than a year after they purchased their home in September 2023,” the prosecutor’s office said. “We will continue to do everything in our power to bring Mr. Sawchak to justice and protect Mr. Moturi, his wife, and the wider community from his violent behavior.”

District 8 City Councilwoman Andrea Jenkins — who represents the Moturi family — sent a letter with the support of fellow council members who expressed their outrage that Savchak was never arrested on these outstanding warrants and left to terrorize a family that had reported repeated threats.

“We are writing today with dismay at the Department of Health’s failure to protect a Minneapolis resident from a clear, ongoing and widely reported threat from his neighbor,” the letter, addressed to Mayor Jacob Frey and Police Chief Brian O’Hara, said.

The letter alleges that MPD failed to file reports with Moriarty’s office when Moturi was told Sawczak had threatened them with a knife and then a gun in the weeks before the shooting. In addition, the letter states that “MPD informed the HCAO that it did not intend to execute the warrant ‘due to officer safety concerns.'”

“MPD’s failure to act made Mr. Moturi ask, ‘Am I not human like you?’ We echo Mr. Moturi’s heartbreaking question as to why MPD failed to protect this black resident from a clear and serious threat, and why they continue to do so without cooperating with the District Attorney’s Office and arresting the suspect,” the letter reads. . “We also have many questions about how and why MPD leadership and the mayor allowed this situation to escalate.”

MPD did not respond to multiple requests for comment from 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS, but Chief O’Hare is expected to address the situation at a press conference later Friday afternoon. This media briefing will be broadcast on KSTP.com and our YouTube page.