Man, 21, charged with murder in fatal south Minneapolis shooting
MINNEAPOLIS — A 21-year-old man is facing a second-degree murder charge for fatally shooting another man in south Minneapolis last week.
The Minneapolis Police Department says officers responded to a report of a shooting on the 2900 block of 12th Avenue South just before 2 p.m. There, officers found 26-year-old D'Shawn Porter with an apparent gunshot wound to his head. Despite life-saving attempts, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The criminal complaint filed on Tuesday state a witness told police Porter had been looking to buy drugs in the area and was directed to go to the parking lot where the shooting occurred. The witness had accompanied the victim to the area.
Charges say the witness told police the suspect pulled out a "small piece of crack cocaine." The criminal complaint states the victim then said, "C'mon man, you know me," to indicate he wanted more.
The suspect, according to the witness in the criminal complaint, said he had more in his pocket, but pulled out a gun and shot Porter. The witness said one shot was fired. ShotSpotter also only detected one shot in the area around that time.
The criminal complaint said officers used surveillance video and partial prints to track down the suspect.
Police conducted surveillance on the suspect's home and at one point heard him mention the word "shooting," charges say.
When police tried to arrest the suspect, he fled on foot but ultimately was arrested.
Charges say that while in the squad car, the suspect started to "make spontaneous statements" that were inconsistent with each other and other known evidence.
In one story, the suspect said he and the victim were conversing when two people approached and began shooting. In another version, he said a "crackhead" tried to rob him and was selling drugs so he "upped the blick" — suggesting he shot him.
In a post-Miranda statement, the suspect said he, Porter and a woman had been in the alley when a vehicle pulled up and two men got out of the car and he heard shooting.
Surveillance video that shows the parking lot where the shooting occurred did not match the suspect's story, the complaint states. When confronted with this evidence, he allegedly changed his story again.
The suspect's bail is set at $1 million with conditions.
