21-year-old man charged with murder in fatal shooting in south Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS — A 21-year-old man faces second-degree murder charges for fatal shooting another man last week in south Minneapolis.

Minneapolis police said officers responded to a report of a shooting in the 2900 block of 12th Avenue South just before 2 p.m. Officers found 26-year-old D'Shawn Porter with an apparent gunshot wound to the head. Despite life-saving attempts, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The criminal complaint filed Tuesday states that a witness told police that Porter was in the area looking to buy drugs and was sent to the parking lot where the shooting occurred. The witness accompanied the victim there.

The indictment states that the witness told police the suspect pulled out a “small piece of crack.” The indictment states that the victim then said, “Come on, man, you know me,” indicating that he wanted more.

The suspect, according to the witness in the criminal complaint, said he had more in his pocket but then pulled out a gun and shot Porter. The witness said one shot was fired. ShotSpotter also recorded only one shot in the area at the time.

The criminal complaint states that officers used surveillance video and partial prints to track down the suspect.

Police conducted surveillance of the suspect's home and at some point heard him mention the word “shooting,” the indictment says.

When police attempted to arrest the suspect, he fled on foot but was eventually arrested.

According to the prosecution, the suspect began making “spontaneous statements” in the patrol car that did not match each other or other known evidence.

In one story, the suspect said he and the victim were talking when two people approached him and started shooting. In another version, he said a “crack addict” was trying to rob him and sell drugs, so he “raised his gaze” – suggesting he shot him.

In a statement given after the Miranda review, the suspect said he, Porter and a woman were in the alley when a vehicle stopped, two men got out of the car and he heard gunshots.

Surveillance video showing the parking lot where the shooting occurred did not match the suspect's statement, the indictment says. When confronted with that evidence, he allegedly changed his statement again.

The suspect's bail was set at one million dollars with conditions.