A man has been taken into custody on charges of armed kidnapping involving a woman and her four children, following an incident where he allegedly killed another man in Minnesota. Authorities have confirmed that the victims are now safe.

ChadAanerud, 35, was taken into custody during a traffic stop at approximately 7:15 a.m. local time after officers pulled over a white minivan in Morrison County, as stated by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) and local law enforcement.

Morrison County is situated in the East Central region of Minnesota, just south of Crow Wing County. Authorities there indicated that the woman and her children were located shortly after 1:50 a.m. on Friday.

The individuals involved were identified by police as the man’s girlfriend, who is 33 years old, along with four children aged 3, 7, 11, and 14. Fortunately, they were found safe inside the vehicle according to reports from the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office.the family was reported missing, leading to the issuance of a statewide Amber Alert.

Sheriff Eric Klang informed YSL News on Friday morning that “there is currently no threat to the public.” He added that deputies are actively investigating the case and will provide updates as it progresses.

A shooting, a family’s abduction, and a house fire

Before the kidnapping took place, authorities stated that Aanerud allegedly shot and killed Lyle Maske, 62, at a residence in Maple Grove Township. Following this incident, he reportedly set the house on fire and abducted five victims at gunpoint.

Minnesota Amber Alert Issued Following Murder and Kidnapping

As per the sheriff’s department, a family was abducted from their temporary residence near Brainerd, located roughly 130 miles northwest of Minneapolis.

Authorities reported that at approximately 1:50 a.m. on Friday, Aanerud showed up at the house on Loerch Road and discharged a rifle into the ceiling of the dwelling where the victims were present.

Aanered tragically shot the victim, compelled the mother along with her four children to accompany him in a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica, and subsequently set their house on fire.

As of late Friday morning, authorities had not shared more details regarding the homicide and kidnapping.

The sheriff’s office has confirmed that both the shooting and abduction are still under investigation.

This story has been revised to include recent updates.