BRAINERD — Authorities are still piecing together the facts surrounding a 35-year-old Brainerd man who allegedly shot and killed another man and then kidnapped a pregnant woman and her children.

At approximately 1:50 a.m. on Friday, November 1, Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a shooting on Loerch Road in Oak Law Township, east of Brainerd. Deputies arriving in the area found a burned-out shed, as well as an adult male dead from an apparent gunshot wound in the driveway.

The victim was later identified as Lyle Maske, 62, of Brainerd.

Law enforcement identified Chad Aanerud as the suspect in the shooting. Following the shooting, Aanerud allegedly went to his girlfriend’s home, fired a rifle into the ceiling and took her and her four children against their will from a home on Loerch Road, leaving the scene in a white 2017 Chrysler Pacifica.

It was determined that those taken were a 33-year-old pregnant woman and four young people aged 14, 11, 7 and 3. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension issued a statewide Amber Alert around 6:30 a.m. Friday regarding the abduction.

Contributor / Minnesota Department of Corrections

At a news conference Friday afternoon, Crow Wing County Sheriff Eric Klang said Aanerud is currently in custody at the Crow Wing County Jail.

“I would like to express my gratitude for the Amber Alert,” Klang said. “The Amber Alert worked exactly as it was supposed to. When it was sent out this morning, a very clever Morrison County resident found that vehicle and matched it to the Amber Alert. He was able to notify law enforcement and quickly the Morrison County deputy and State Police located that vehicle in that area and was able to stop that vehicle for a felony and take the person into custody.”

The sheriff’s office said the shooting death and the kidnapping were believed to be related, but did not provide further information about the connection.

At approximately 7:15 a.m., the vehicle was located and stopped by law enforcement in Morrison County. Klang said that thanks to the Amber Alert, the vehicle was spotted after going up and down the same road many times.

Aanerud was taken into custody without incident and the five kidnapped people were placed in the vehicle unharmed.

Klang said the motive for the shooting and abduction is still under investigation, but the department has interacted with Aanerud in the past.

Brainerd High School Principal Andrea Rusk sent a letter to students’ parents around 11 a.m. Friday informing them of the updated Amber Alert stating that children and mothers were found safe.

Rusk said the children were all students in the Brainerd School District.

“The district and Brainerd High School are teaming up to support students, families and staff,” Rusk said in the email. “Our thoughts are with the families at this difficult time. We want to reassure you that the safety of our children is our top priority.”

Klang said children and mothers receive care through community services.

The Brainerd Police Department, Brainerd Fire Department and Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension assisted at the scene.

Aanerud’s criminal history includes several convictions for felonies, including third-degree criminal sexual conduct, improperly registering as a predatory offender, threats of violence, burglary, and several cases of third-degree burglary.

Most recently, Aanerud was charged with threats of violence and gross misdemeanor domestic assault in Crow Wing County District Court on July 26 after he allegedly threatened a family member and another person with a knife. He also threatened to burn down the family member’s house and vehicles.

According to the criminal complaint filed in that case, the victims told a Crow Wing County Sheriff’s deputy that Aanerud threatened to slit their throats with a knife and told them during the argument that he was “going to do meth again.”

The defense hearing in this case will be held on November 14.

In 2008, Aanerud was charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct against a 15-year-old victim in Brainerd. In 2011, the court decided to postpone the sentence, and he was sentenced to 150 days in prison and 15 years of supervised release. In this case, he violated probation twice, in 2011 and 2012. In 2013, he was sentenced to 36 months in prison with 10 years parole.

In 2018, he was convicted in Crow Wing County District Court of knowingly violating registration requirements or providing false information as a predatory felon and sentenced to 31 months in prison.

In 2010, Aanerud was charged in Crow Wing County District Court with felony burglary and third-degree felony larceny. In 2012, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison, which was suspended while he remained on 5 years of probation.

On a 2010 third-degree felony burglary charge in Crow Wing County, Aanerud was initially given a suspended sentence, but was sentenced to 21 months in prison in 2013 after twice violating the terms of his probation.

Aanerud faced a third charge for third-degree felony burglary in Crow Wing County in 2010; On that charge, he was sentenced to one year and one day in prison after violating the terms of his probation. This sentence was executed concurrently with the previous sentence.

In 2021, Aanerud was charged in Aitkin County District Court with felony threats of violence. In 2022, he was sentenced to 29 months in prison, which the court sentenced to 180 days in prison and five years of supervised probation.

In this case, Aanerud was accused of calling his ex-girlfriend and her mother and sending a threatening message. The threats included Aanerud telling his ex-girlfriend that he would come and get her, that he would watch her every move and that he would not stop calling and texting her and her mother. When an Aitkin Police officer told Aanerud to stop, Aanerud responded, “That’s not going to happen,” according to the criminal complaint.