Lavon Longstreet pleads guilty in fatal 2022 MOA shooting of Johntae Hudson
MINNEAPOLIS — A second man who was charged in a deadly shooting at the Mall of America in 2022 pleaded guilty Friday, a day after his accomplice received a 30-year sentence.
Lavon Longstreet was 17 years old when he gunned down 19-year-old Johntae Hudson in the Nordstrom department store. Documents say Longstreet and TaeShawn Adams-Wright brandished handguns with extended magazines and chased Hudson through the store.
Hudson was shot 10 times, and a bullet also grazed a bystander who was shopping with her daughter. Hudson died at the scene.
Longstreet pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and second-degree assault. The plea agreement calls for him to receive more than a 30-year sentence for the murder and a three-year sentence for the assault, which will be served concurrently. He'll be officially sentenced on June 10.
"When we certified the defendant to be prosecuted as an adult, it was in recognition of his age and the lead role he played in a shooting that took the life of one person and endangered countless others. The lengthy prison sentence we are seeking is necessary to protect the safety of the public," said Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty. "While accountability has arrived for Mr. Longstreet, it is too late for Johntae Hudson and his family, who I am keeping in my thoughts today."
On Thursday, Adams-Wright received a 30-year sentence. He'd pleaded guilty to both second-degree intentional homicide and second-degree intentional assault.
Two other 17-year-old boys were also charged in juvenile court with second-degree riot, a felony. One is accused of blocking Hudson's escape, while the other is accused of grabbing him while he tried to flee.
Note: The video above first aired on May 30, 2024, before Longstreet pleaded guilty.