A Blaine man who admitted buying and selling dozens of handguns is headed to federal prison for 33 months, after prosecutors said firearms he purchased wound up in Minneapolis shootings that killed two young children. Investigators tied guns William Burton bought to multiple crimes, including the 2021 deaths of 6-year-old Aniya Allen and 9-year-old Trinity Ottoson-Smith. In court, grieving families said the punishment did not come close to fitting the damage and urged authorities to keep pressing for the people who pulled the triggers.
Judge Hands Down The Longest Federal Term
In U.S. District Court in St. Paul, the judge imposed a 33-month sentence, the longest term available under Burton’s plea agreement, after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to make false statements in the purchase of firearms. Burton acknowledged buying the handgun that investigators say was used in the fatal shooting of 6-year-old Aniya Allen, and told the court he was “in shock” when he learned the weapons had been used in the killings. According to KARE11, Burton expressed remorse as he addressed the judge.
How Investigators Connected The Guns
Prosecutors and law-enforcement records show Burton bought at least 41 to 43 handguns in roughly nine months, from late 2019 into 2020. Ballistic testing later linked several of those weapons to shootings across the Twin Cities. As detailed by KSTP, police have recovered about 17 of the firearms, and investigators say one gun was tied to the shooting that killed Trinity Ottoson-Smith while another was connected to the fatal shooting of Aniya Allen.
Family Members Push For Answers
Relatives of the young victims urged prosecutors in court to keep going after anyone who ended up with the weapons Burton purchased. No one has been charged in Aniya Allen’s killing, and her grandfather told the judge, “You get more time than that for selling drugs,” according to KARE11, as he pressed for accountability beyond the straw buyer.
What Burton Pleaded To And What It Means
Burton pleaded guilty to a federal charge of conspiracy to make false statements during firearms purchases, a statute prosecutors often use against so-called straw buyers who legally obtain guns for others. Court documents and reporting from CBS Minnesota show the plea carries a sentencing range of roughly two to three years and can include supervised release after prison. The conviction, however, does not identify who actually fired the shots in the still-unsolved murders.
Why Prosecutors And Advocates Say This Matters
Advocates and investigators say Burton’s case highlights how quickly guns bought over the counter can move into the local illegal market and end up at violent crime scenes. Tools like ballistic matching have been central to tracing that pipeline and linking recovered weapons back to specific shootings. Reporting by KSTP notes that investigators are still seeking tips as they work to solve the killings of Aniya Allen and Trinity Ottoson-Smith.
