Thief River Falls: Gun Found Near Child, Charge Filed

Thief River Falls (trfnews.i234.me) — Marquil V Flynn faces a gross misdemeanor firearm storage charge.

The charge follows a May 30, 2026, traffic stop in Thief River Falls.

Prosecutors allege a loaded handgun was accessible to a child inside Flynn’s vehicle.

The allegations are detailed in a Pennington County District Court complaint.

Traffic Stop Leads to Firearm Discovery

Police were patrolling Third Street at about 4:42 p.m.

Officers reported seeing a vehicle traveling between 45 and 50 mph.

The posted speed limit was 30 mph, according to the complaint.

The vehicle was also changing lanes and passing other traffic.

An officer activated emergency lights and attempted to stop the vehicle.

The vehicle did not immediately stop, and a siren was then activated.

Flynn later told police that a safe stopping location was being sought.

The vehicle eventually stopped near Labree Avenue North.

Police detained Flynn and asked whether any weapons were inside.

Flynn told investigators that a handgun belonging to girlfriend Shivawn Lashay Williams was inside.

Williams and a child were seated in the rear of the vehicle.

Williams told police the handgun was underneath the front passenger seat.

The child also appeared to know where the firearm was located, the complaint states.

An officer told the child not to reach toward the weapon.

Police then recovered a Glock 9mm pistol from underneath the seat.

The complaint says the firearm was near where the child’s feet had been positioned.

Investigators removed the magazine and found a round inside the chamber.

Flynn said the handgun had originally been stored beneath the vehicle’s radio area.

Flynn said it fell and slid beneath the seat during the traffic stop.

Police confirmed the handgun was registered to Williams and was not reported stolen.

Prosecutors charged Flynn with negligent storage of a firearm.

Minnesota Statute 609.666 addresses access to loaded firearms by children.

The law requires reasonable steps to secure a loaded firearm from likely child access.

The offense is classified as a gross misdemeanor.

A conviction can bring up to 364 days in jail and a $3,000 fine.

The case is filed as 57-CR-26-460 in Pennington County District Court.

Readers can search public cases through Minnesota Court Records Online.

The charge is an allegation and does not establish guilt.

Flynn is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

I’m Adrian Cole reporting for TRF News.