Child dies, two women wounded after Minnesota gunman opens fire on motorists

A nine-year-old boy was killed and two women were wounded on Feb 11 after a single shooter began firing a handgun in bursts at passing cars in Oakdale, Minnesota, a suburb of St Paul.

The 34-year-old shooter is likely to face criminal charges after killing the boy and injuring two adult women, hitting at least two different vehicles with gunfire, reports Reuters.

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The Pioneer Press reports that the apprehended man, Nhan Lap Tran, shot at cars as he "calmly walked" down the middle of a street near his parent's home.

The nine-year-old boy was killed after he was shot in the head, while his 39-year-old mother is expected to survive her injuries.

"We feel with his arrest there is no active threat to the public safety at this time," said Oakdale Police Officer Michelle Stark of the incident on Tuesday to Reuters.

Gun safety bills are currently under legislative review in Minnesota, wrote the local CBS website, but a number of lawmakers on both the Democratic and Republican sides of the aisle appear to be in opposition, as well as many members of the general public.

The opposition is somewhat surprising, notes NPR, as Minnesota is a dependably Democratic-leaning state.

US President Barack Obama will outline his views on gun control in his State of the Union address, which will be delivered later today.