The charges detail how a man targeted in the Savage Road rage shooting escaped injury

Charges brought against the alleged gunman say the man targeted in a shooting in Savage last week escaped injury after the bullet hit a cell phone in his pants pocket.

Sounthone Lothirath, 47, of Shakopee, was arrested Friday and faces three charges in connection with a shooting that occurred Oct. 21 around 11:50 a.m. in the 13100 block of Independence Avenue.

Although police initially said one person suffered non-life-threatening injuries, the charges against Lothirath indicate that the victim, a 40-year-old man, was ultimately unharmed.

According to the complaint, the victim told police that Lothirath ran a stop sign and almost collided with him in the road moments before the shooting.

The victim testified that Lothirath then followed him to the client’s home, confronted him and threatened to kill him.

According to the charges, the victim told Lothirath he “made a mistake about the stop sign,” even though Lothirath was at fault for the incident.

It was then that Lothirath allegedly told the victim he lived around the corner and to “stay there”, threatening to kill him.

The victim proceeded to the next stop and moments later Lothirath allegedly drove past him and opened fire.

The complaint states that the victim saw a black gun, heard gunshots and felt a burning sensation in his leg.

“The first shot was to the face and flew past,” the defendants state, noting that three holes were found in the victim’s vehicle.

Investigators were able to identify Lothirath as the suspect based on traffic camera footage, a description provided by the victim, and body camera footage from a traffic stop involving Lothirath in May.

Minnesota court records show Lothirath was convicted of second-degree assault in Hennepin County in 1997 and was prohibited from possessing firearms at the time of the shooting.

He faces new charges in Scott County for unauthorized possession of a firearm, shooting from a vehicle and second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon.