St. Paul employee pleads guilty to shooting 16-year-old at recreation center in January
ST. PAUL, Minn. — A man pleaded guilty Monday to shooting a teenager at a St. Paul recreation center while he was employed there earlier this year.
Exavir Dwayne Binford Jr., 27, pleaded guilty to first degree assault for shooting a 16-year-old in the forehead at Jimmy Lee Recreation Center in January. Through his plea agreement, a charge of second degree attempted murder was dismissed.
RELATED: St. Paul employee, Exavir Binford Jr., charged in St. Paul recreation center shooting
According to the criminal complaint, there had been a fight between a number of girls at the rec center prior to the incident. The rec center was locked down during the fight, and some students were not allowed inside, but rather made to wait in the parking lot.
One girl who was inside the building was allowed to let her cousin inside, which the complaint says upset Binford because "another employee undermined his authority." Binford allegedly argued with that girl who let her cousin inside, and was heard repeatedly calling her a "b****."
The 16-year-old victim became involved, and Binford responded by showing the victim and another youth that he was carrying a gun. The two youths Binford allegedly showed his gun began punching Binford, beating him for what police said was "a couple of seconds."
It was after the fight ended that Binford allegedly backed up, pulled out the gun and shot one of the two in the head. The victim fell to the ground and Binford fled. Both of the youths were unarmed.
Binford allegedly told police that he's had trouble with the victim ever since he arrived at Jimmy Lee Rec Center. He also claimed that the boy who was let back into the building by his cousin was part of the group who "was causing trouble."
He told police that he felt bad about the altercation, and knew he should not have done it, and was "disappointed in himself." He added that felt threatened by the youths, and claimed that the victim told his acquaintance to "call someone to bring all the sticks," which he presumed to mean weapons.
Binford's sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 9. He could serve up to 20 years in prison.
