Teen boys fatally shot Twin Cities high school senior during robbery, charges say
Charges allege a group of teens fatally shot a Twin Cities high school senior during a robbery earlier this month.
Four boys were charged in juvenile court Thursday in connection to the March 2 shooting that killed 18-year-old Diamond Manly of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.
The boys, between the ages of 14 and 17 at the time of the crime, were arrested more than two weeks after someone found Manly dead from a gunshot wound inside a vehicle on a residential street in Ramsey, Minnesota.
Investigators were able to track down the suspects using surveillance video and phone data.
In a post-Miranda statement, one of the suspects told police that he and the three others were at his residence on the evening of March 1 when one of the boys said he wanted a "marijuana cartridge and to rob someone," charges say.
Another boy, a 14-year-old, knew someone who was selling "carts," — identified in charges as Manly — and messaged him so they could meet up. Manly allegedly sent an address near where he was found dead, according to the complaint.
Charges say three of the boys went to the meeting spot, where they met Manly, who was inside his car while they were in the street. Manly had his driver's window partially rolled down when one of the boys asked to see the cartridges. That's when one of the suspects says Manly tried to drive away, but a 17-year-old boy pulled out a gun from his backpack and shot him through the open window.
The three teens initially ran away, but two of them returned to steal money and cartridges from Manly, according to the complaint. One of the teens told police Manly said "help" several times as they were taking his items.
During a search of a residence where two of the boys live, police found a backpack containing marijuana cartridges — the same kind Manly had carried on the night of his death — and a single unfired 9mm cartridge "consistent with the caliber of ammunition recovered from the crime scene," charges state. Additionally, investigators say they found "a large amount of currency" and clothing consistent with that seen on video surveillance.
Motions to certify the teens as adults have been filed.
Manly had been a senior at Champlin Park High School. His family said he had recently signed up to join the Army.
Note: The video above originally aired on March 3, 2025.
