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18-year-old Gavin Skattebo arrested for felony firearm possession

 

A second person has been arrested on an unrelated charge as a result of the investigation into the shooting death of Opoka James Bot Nathanael, 27.

Eighteen-year-old Gavyn Riley Skattebo, of Austin, was arrested on Monday after video, dated to around 12:22 p.m. the day of the shooting, surfaced during the investigation into Nathanael’s death on Feb. 15. The video allegedly shows Skattebo holding a Glock 9X19 handgun with an extended magazine.

He has been charged with a single felony count of possession of ammunition or a firearm while being convicted or adjudicated delinquent for a crime of violence.

Skattebo’s criminal history reflects he was previously adjudicated as a delinquent for terroristic threats in 2019. 

According to the court complaint, an agent with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) reviewed content on Skattebo’s cell phone on March 4, while investigating Nathanael’s death when the video was discovered. 

The complaint states that in the video Skattebo’s face is clearly visible and the gun appears consistent with the gun held by a juvenile in another video. The complaint goes on to say that the juvenile previously told police that the Glock was a gun Nathanael suspected of being stolen from him on Feb. 15.

Prior to the video’s discovery, a search warrant was executed at Skattebo’s residence on Feb. 27, as part of the homicide investigation.

Scenes from the video appear to match pictures of the residence taken during the warrant’s execution.

Skattebo declined to speak to law enforcement when he was arrested and has since been released from Mower County jail. His next court appearance will be for an initial appearance on March 31.

Earlier this month, Owyn Enrique Raul Bellikka, 18, was charged with felony firearm possession in a case where similar to Skattebo, data was taken from a cell phone seized during the Nathanael investigation.

He has since pleaded not guilty to the charge.

That cell phone was recovered from the back of the vehicle in which Nathanael was shot. Photos and video taken from the phone allegedly show the juvenile charged in the February shooting brandishing a .45 handgun.

Further investigation of the phone’s data showed both the juvenile charged in Nathanael’s death as well as Bellikka taking turns firing the handgun.

According to the complaint, Bellikka was previously adjudicated delinquent for second degree assault with a dangerous weapon in July of 2023.

Beillikka’s next court appearance will be on April 3 for an omnibus hearing.