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Police say man found dead in Chanhassen garage was shot, stabbed

The Carver County Sheriff's Office identified the victim as 33-year-old Erik Berger of Saint Paul, and said the victim and his alleged assailant knew each other.

CHANHASSEN, Minn. — The Carver County Sheriff's Office has identified the man found dead in a Chanhassen storage facility that houses high-end vehicles on Friday afternoon. 

Deputies from the sheriff's office were called to an address in the 8100 block of Audubon Road where they found a 33-year-old man shortly before 4 p.m., according to a press release.

The man, identified by officials as Erik Allen Berger, was pronounced dead at the scene. 

Sheriff's officials said Berger sustained both knife and gunshot wounds. Earlier evidence suggested a violent assault occurred before Berger's death. 

He was found on the ground in the garage by his parents. 

"They were planning to meet there to take one of the collector cars to dinner," said Carver County Sheriff Jason Kamerude. "When they showed up, they found him lying in the garage."

Officials said the victim, Berger, and the person of interest in his death knew each other. According to a press release, that person appears to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. 

"I have speculation about what the relationship is, but I don’t know how they knew each other," said Sheriff Kamerude, adding the two weren't strangers. 

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office had not released the name of the person accused of killing Berger as of Monday afternoon. 

Berger's brother Mark told KARE 11's Jennifer Hoff that the family isn't speaking about Erik's death at this point, but shared that "this is not easy" and intimated that there are details that need to come out. 

An emotional Facebook tribute by his brother Scott said Erik Berger "lived more life, a richer life, and accomplished more in 33 short years than many of us could hope to do in 103 years."

Erik Berger was far, far too young to pass away at just 33. Our mourning will be long and painful. But hear this: from...

Posted by Scott Berger on Saturday, April 13, 2024

"This is a very nice area with a fair amount of wealth," said Sheriff Kamerude. "But people are people and they’re still going to have issues with chemicals and emotional ups and downs. Those things aren’t insulated by wealth."

Carver County sheriff's officials believe the incident was isolated and there is no threat to the public. 

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available. 

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