Murder Charges Filed Against 2 Teenagers In Shooting Outside Richfield School
RICHFIELD, Minn. (WCCO) -- Charges have been filed against two teenagers in the shooting death of Jahmari Rice outside a Richfield school on Tuesday.
Alfredo Rosario Solis, 19, and Fernando Valdez Alvarez, 18, both face one count of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree attempted murder.
CRIMINAL COMPLAINT DETAILS
According to the criminal complaint, officers responded at 12:06 p.m. to the report of a shooting at the school, which is located on Penn Avenue South. While on the way, officers learned two people had been shot and the suspects fled in an SUV.
When officers arrived, they found a teenage student, identified later as Rice, lying on the sidewalk on the south side of the main parking lot. A school nurse was there assessing his injuries.
Rice was unresponsive and did not appear to be breathing. Officers, with assistance from the school nurse, provided CPR until paramedics arrived. He was then taken to Hennepin Healthcare where he was pronounced dead.
A second victim, who is 17, was found "lying on the floor in the front vestibule of the building" and was being held by a school staff member. The victim had a gunshot wound to his upper left chest area with an exit wound on his lower left back. The victim was "conscious but appeared to be declining in his breathing," the complaint said. That victim was taken to Hennepin Healthcare and into surgery shortly after arriving.
A third victim, a 19-year-old, suffered minor injuries.
Witnesses told police that several students appeared to run up to Solis and Alvarez "like they were getting ready to fight." That's when either Solis or Alvarez – the charges don't specify – pulled out a gun and began firing. Witnesses reported that two or three shots were initially fired, and another two or three shots were fired after they entered a vehicle and as the victims were running away.
A review of school surveillance video shows all five students exiting the school and crossing the parking lot.
In a search warrant of Solis' residence, police recovered a 9 mm Glock handgun, a Nintendo Switch case that had two magazines for the handgun and ammunition. Solis was located at the residence.
In a search warrant executed at Alvarez's residence, officers located a gold 2007 Chevrolet Taho parked in the rear, which matched the general description of the suspect vehicle given by witnesses.
Police said five 9 mm discharged cartridge cases were recovered in the area where the SUV was parked at the school. Two located on the side and three on the other side. Ballistics testing is pending.
If convicted, both could face up to 40 years in prison on the murder charge.
Rice, 15, had just transferred to South Education Center the week before. He was a football player for Richfield High School, and his coach said he had a lot of passion, a lot of heart, was fierce about his friends, and had a big smile.