In the early morning hours of November 1, 2024, a tragic series of events unfolded in a quiet neighborhood near Brainerd, Minnesota, culminating in the death of 62-year-old Lyle Maske, a White male. The incident began with a violent domestic dispute at a neighboring residence on Loerch Road.
The chaos started when Chad Aanerud, 35, allegedly sexually assaulted a woman and threatened her and her four children.
In the midst of this, the woman instructed her children to flee to a neighbor's house for safety, which belonged to Lyle Maske. As the children sought refuge, Aanerud is accused of setting a home on the woman's property on fire.
Upon learning of the escalating situation from the terrified children, Lyle Maske went to his neighbor's property to investigate and offer assistance. In the driveway, he was confronted by Aanerud and was fatally shot. First responders, who arrived around 1:50 a.m. after receiving a report of a shooting, found Maske deceased at the scene with rifle casings nearby.
Following the shooting, Aanerud allegedly kidnapped the woman and her four children at gunpoint, forcing them into a van and fleeing the area. This act prompted a statewide AMBER Alert. Aanerud was apprehended later that morning near Little Falls after a citizen spotted his vehicle and alerted the authorities. The woman and her children were found in the vehicle; the children were physically unharmed, but the woman had injuries consistent with a physical assault. Authorities also discovered 13 stolen firearms in the van.
Chad Aanerud was arrested and is facing a dozen charges, including two counts of second-degree murder, first-degree criminal sexual conduct, five counts of kidnapping, and first-degree arson. In an interview with law enforcement, Aanerud reportedly admitted to shooting Maske, claiming it was an accident, and also confessed to intentionally setting the house on fire and abducting the woman and her children. He is currently in custody. Family and friends remembered Lyle Maske as a hero who died while trying to protect his neighbors.
