FERGUS FALLS, Minn. – A Fergus Falls mom is advocating for changes to a Minnesota State law, after a man with a loaded gun entered her home while she slept.

Livi Lemke was alone with her one-year-old baby on February 20, 2025, when she heard a man scream from inside her home. Video footage from her living room shows a man carrying a large shotgun, pacing the hallways, and screaming for help.

“He passed my baby’s bedroom, and from there, I came out and screamed. He told me to be quiet,” Lemke explained.

Court documents said the man entered her home because he thought people were outside on the roof trying to hurt him. He claimed he was chased to the Lemke residence, where he fired his gun three times before walking in.

According to Livi, her door was unlocked, as her husband had just left for work. They live in a rural part of town, where leaving doors unlocked is common, she said.

She recalled the terrifying moments: “At one point, he did charge at me with his gun barrel pointed at me. He put a hole through my bedroom door because that’s where I was hiding behind… I was scared for my life.”

Otter Tail County officials came after 22 minutes, and identified the man as Kelly Harold Zent. He was arrested, but was released from jail shortly after.

A check of Zent’s criminal history showed felony convictions from 1989 and 1990. He’s the Lemke’s neighbor, and lives down the road.

“It’s scary. I have to live and see where he lives everyday and wonder if he’s just gonna wander back up to my house again… He’s just living his life like normal, yet I’m here living in fear every single day now because laws aren’t protecting me,” added Livi.

Under Minnesota Law, if an intruder does not cause harm, or steals anything, they typically do not get charged with a felony. Best they can do is trespassing, which generally is a misdemeanor.

According to court documents, Zent lives with his family, who said this incident was a mental health episode, as he suffers from extreme paranoia.

The Lemke’s are now speaking up, advocating for change.

“This can happen to anyone. If it does happen, which I hope and pray it doesn’t, they won’t have to go through what I’ve gone through,” Livi said.

She was denied a Harassment-Retraining Order (HRO) twice as this was a single, isolated incident. She was told these are only usually granted when multiple incidents occur, however, she was successful in obtaining a no-trespass form.

Valley News Live will continue to investigate this incident. Tomorrow, March 27, 2025, we’ll hear from the county attorney and a state senator to talk about the law and what’s being done to keep the family safe.

We have learned, however, the county has found means to pursue charges against Mr. Zent – but that’s not always the case with these kinds of stories. You can catch the follow-up story tomorrow at 6:00.