Prayer Before the Shot: Woman Claims Divine Guidance in Neighbor's Shooting

A Disturbing Case of Alleged Violence and Misguided Belief

A 64-year-old woman from Minnesota is facing serious charges after allegedly shooting her neighbor, claiming she believed the victim was involved in violent crimes. According to law enforcement, Ava Leone Kock has been accused of second-degree attempted murder and two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon. The incident occurred in Elba, a small town in southeast Minnesota, where deputies responded to a call about a shooting around 10 p.m. on Tuesday.

The victim reportedly called a witness, who was playing video games at home, and asked him to come outside. When he arrived, he saw the victim slouched under the dashboard of her car. He also noticed several bullet holes in the windshield and driver’s side door. The victim told police that she had pulled her Jeep into a parking lot when someone started shooting at her. Bullet fragments struck her eye and entered her brain, according to officials. Detectives later determined that her Jeep had been hit by bullets seven times.

Kock, who lives in a nearby apartment, was questioned by deputies. She allegedly said she heard noises outside but did not go out to investigate. Deputies noted there were seven holes in the bathroom screen, which were similar in size to the bullet holes in the car. Kock claimed the holes were already there when she moved into the apartment about a year ago.

On Wednesday, Kock called 911 and told dispatchers she tried to contact the FBI and wanted to speak to local police about "possible homicides" in the area. She also mentioned that when she moved into her apartment, the victim and witness were already living in a neighboring unit. According to the affidavit, Kock told deputies she believed the witness and victim were murdering and raping people. She claimed to have heard them digging graves in the basement of their apartment and thought they had people and kids buried there.

Kock allegedly stated that she felt compelled to intervene because the justice system had not stopped their criminal behavior. She said she didn’t want to hear them anymore, so she grabbed her son's rifle and shot at the victim’s Jeep as it was pulling into the parking lot. Before firing, she allegedly said a prayer, referencing "guide my bullets like you guided David's rock." She fired seven times, a number that appears multiple times in the Bible.

After pulling the trigger, Kock reportedly told deputies she felt "at peace" and said she "didn't care" if the victim was injured. She then allegedly hid the rifle behind her stove and placed the shell casings in a potted plant in her living room. After obtaining a search warrant, police recovered the gun and shell casings.

During the investigation, the owner of a business next to Kock's apartment told deputies that Kock had visited the business about a month earlier. She allegedly said the victim and witness were being "very loud" and that she thought the witness might be assaulting the victim. Kock reportedly said she planned to "take out" the witness.

Deputies arrested Kock and took her to the Winona County Jail, where she remains on a $500,000 bond. On Friday, a judge ordered Kock to undergo an evaluation to determine her competency for the criminal case. Her next court date is scheduled for Thursday.