Woman pleads guilty to role in fatal shooting at Minneapolis deli
MINNEAPOLIS — A woman submitted a plea deal on Monday for charges in a deadly Minneapolis shooting she claimed was self-defense.
Misti Nelson, 28, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the Dec. 30, 2023, shooting of 40-year-old Kenneth Johnson at Mr. Santana on University Avenue Southeast.
As part of the plea deal, Nelson will not be sentenced to more than 100 months in prison. Her sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 27.
Charges say a fight broke out at the deli where Nelson was employed late at night. Nelson's sister, who also worked there, attempted to break up the fight, but she and Nelson got caught in the middle.
Eventually, court documents say Nelson got pushed out the door before she fired a shot into the fighting group. The victim, Johnson, exited the building and Nelson fired again.
Johnson ran away from Nelson, between parked cars and across the street, where he collapsed. He later died at the hospital.
After her arrest, police say Nelson admitted to shooting Johnson two times.
The criminal complaint says Nelson has a valid permit to carry the gun she used in the shooting and that she told police that she aimed at Johnson's torso because she was trained to do so in permit to carry class.
Nelson allegedly told police that she shot Johnson because she was hit in the face during the fight and feared her sister may also get hurt.
