Man, 18, sentenced for role in 2023 mass shooting at Nudieland music venue in Minneapolis
An 18-year-old man will spend over 14 years in prison for his role in the 2023 Minneapolis mass shooting at the backyard music venue called Nudieland.
A Hennepin County judge handed down the sentence to Dominic James Burris on Monday afternoon.
Burris, from Hinckley, Minnesota, pleaded guilty in January to one count each of second-degree unpremeditated murder and first-degree assault with great bodily harm, according to court records. Five counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon were dropped as part of a plea agreement.
The judge sentenced Burris to 23 years and two months in prison for the second-degree murder charge and 10 years and two months for the first-degree assault charge, with credit for 355 days served. The sentences will be served at the same time.
Two-thirds of his sentence will be served in prison, and the rest will be served on supervised release.
August Golden, 35, was killed and six others were injured in the shooting on Aug. 11, 2023, outside the home located off 16th Avenue South and East 22nd Street in the Ventura Village neighborhood. Between 30 to 50 people were gathered for a concert at the time.
Victim impact statements were read in court by friends and family, while others were able to read their statements via Zoom from other parts of the country. The common theme from everyone who spoke was that Golden was kind, caring and beloved by many.
Some of the people who talked in court were also gunshot victims, recalling how a fun backyard concert at Nudieland, also known as a safe space for the queer community, quickly turned deadly.
"I cannot begin to describe the feelings of horror. I wear this violence on my body. It is devastating to know that these experiences are not unique to me," said Jennifer Dotson, a gunshot victim.
Burris also spoke in court on Monday.
"I would like to say that I'm sorry for everything I put everyone through," he said. "One day when I come out, I'll be better. And I'll do things for the community. In the name of August, and not for myself."
After court, some of the victims said Burris himself is a victim of the system.
"I don't think he's an evil person," said gunshot victim Tonio Alarcon-Borges. "I don't think he came out that way, I just think he's a product of circumstances."
Golden's partner was among those speaking out.
"I believe hurt people, hurt people," said Caitlin Connery-Harris. "I do not believe punitive justice or the deterioration of another will bring me any closure."
The attorney's office in November 2024 made a plea deal with an 18-year-old Onamia man who was also charged in the shooting. The man agreed to testify against Burris as part of the agreement, which also includes an eight-year public safety process and "significant stayed prison time."
Witnesses say the two men, both 17 at the time of the incident, made "insensitive comments" and "derogatory epithets about the sexual orientation of concert attendees," according to the juvenile petitions.
The men eventually left, and less than a minute later gunfire erupted from the yard next door.
