A cry for help goes unanswered

A troubled young man showed up to the United Healthcare campus in Minnetonka on Monday with a loaded .38 and a bag full of extra rounds. According to the local police who responded, Ian Wagner, age 26, had already called 911 himself and was on the phone with the FBI.

After 45 minutes of effort, the cops managed to get Wagner into custody without any casualties being recorded. He is currently in custody in Hennepin County jail, on $400,000 bail.

He is charged with four felonies, two of which involve the illegal possession of a gun and ammunition.

What preceded the incident in the corporate parking lot (which involved the lockdown of eight (8) nearby office buildings) was nine months of institutional failure. Here are the active cases pending against Mr. Wagner, just dating back to July of last year:

I am not certain that I have captured them all. According to court records, Mr. Wagner suffers from a number of mental health issues that have been professionally evaluated. The common thread is harassment and the repeated violations of restraining orders.

At the time of the United Healthcare incident, there was an active warrant for Mr. Wagner’s arrest. On account of his two felony convictions arising from an August 2024 incident, he was not allowed to have a gun. He was sentenced to 120 days of home confinement in that case.

Earlier this month, Wagner was charged with a probation violation. This latest incident in Minnetonka would also appear to be contrary to the terms of his release.

The last item listed above is a civil filing made by the local police department seeking one of those “red flag orders” against Wagner. If granted, he would be prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. Of course, he is already prohibited, so this order would amount to “double-secret probation.”

Clearly, he’s not getting the kind of help he needs.