Man Accused of Racially Motivated Shooting

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MOORHEAD, Minn. (AP) -- A 67-year-old accused of shooting a man just because he is black faces trial this week on attempted murder and other charges.

Authorities allege that James Waltz, who is white, had told a neighbor he hoped to someday kill a black person before he shot Ricky Davis outside a bar in International Falls in November 2004.

Opening statements were to begin Monday in Red Lake Falls, about 140 miles southwest of International Falls, a city across the border from Canada best known for being one of the coldest places in the U.S. The trial was moved because of publicity and an incident in which potential jurors saw Waltz in handcuffs.

The allegations of racism disturbed many in International Falls, which is about 95 percent white. Only 19 of the 6,605 residents counted in the 2000 U.S. Census were black.