Thief River Falls Casey’s Worker Faces Gun Charges

THIEF RIVER FALLS, MN (trfnews.i234.me) – An 18-year-old Casey’s employee faces serious criminal charges after allegedly bringing a firearm to work and frightening a coworker.

Brenden Douglas Hanson, 18, of Thief River Falls, was arrested following a police investigation on October 28, 2026.

Hanson faces felony theft of a firearm and gross misdemeanor possession of a pistol without a permit in a public place.

Coworker Reports Frightening Encounter

According to the criminal complaint, police received a report that a Casey’s employee had brought a handgun into the workplace.

A female employee told investigators Hanson startled her while she was washing dishes.

She reportedly told Hanson not to scare her.

Hanson allegedly responded, “Don’t do that to me today.”

When the coworker questioned his response, Hanson reportedly lifted his shirt and displayed a firearm tucked into his waistband.

The employee became concerned and instructed Hanson to put the gun in his vehicle and leave the store.

Hanson Claims He Feared Something Bad Would Happen

During the investigation, Hanson reportedly explained why he brought the firearm to work.

According to the complaint, Hanson said he had a feeling something bad might happen at the store that day.

He reportedly described the feeling as subconscious rather than identifying a specific threat.

Hanson also told investigators he had stopped taking prescribed mental health medication without consulting his doctor.

He initially believed he felt better without the medication but later expressed concern about how he was feeling.

The complaint does not identify a specific threat against the store or its employees.

Gun Allegedly Taken Without Grandfather’s Permission

Investigators also questioned Hanson about where he obtained the firearm.

According to the complaint, Hanson admitted the gun belonged to his grandfather.

His grandfather was reportedly out of town and had not given Hanson permission to take the weapon.

Hanson allegedly told investigators he had taken the gun the previous day to shoot cans.

Police subsequently went to Hanson’s residence, where they recovered the firearm.

Two Criminal Charges Filed

Following the investigation, authorities arrested Hanson.

He faces two charges connected to the alleged incident:

Felony Theft of a Firearm: Allegedly taking his grandfather’s gun without permission.
Gross Misdemeanor Carrying or Possessing a Pistol Without a Permit: Allegedly possessing the firearm in a public place without the required permit.

Minnesota law generally requires a valid permit to carry a pistol in a public place, subject to statutory exceptions.

Additional information is available through the Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes.

No injuries or firearm discharge were described in the reported incident.

The charges remain allegations. Hanson is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

I’m Adrian Cole reporting for TRF News.

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