A shooting in Minneapolis left one man dead and two others injured after Lopez-Starr drove his vehicle by and opened fire on May 25, 2026, at about 12:19 a.m. Officers responded to the scene and found the first victim, a known adult man, dead from a gunshot wound to the chest.
Tijon Ronnell Lopez-Starr, of Minneapolis, faces charges of 2nd-degree murder for the drive-by shooting and two counts of dangerous weapons for shooting toward a person. The complaint states that two individuals, referred to as the second and third victims, were with the first victim when the shooting occurred.
According to the complaint, surveillance video captured a vehicle, later identified as belonging to Lopez-Starr, circling the block multiple times before the shooting. The vehicle had been transferred to a new owner in March but was seen being driven by Lopez-Starr on May 7, 2026. Just before the shooting, Lopez-Starr communicated with the second victim three times, about fifty minutes prior to the incident.
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Officers recovered 32 discharged cartridge casings from six different firearms at the scene, indicating multiple rounds of gunfire. The witness accounts and surveillance footage revealed that the first round of gunfire occurred near 42nd Street, where 23 casings were found, followed by additional rounds on 41st Street and back on 42nd Street.
Co-defendant Raquan Rahjai Johnson was taken into custody on June 5, 2026. During questioning, Johnson stated that he was driving Lopez-Starr and another man when Lopez-Starr got into an argument over the phone. The person on the other end instructed Lopez-Starr to come to a specific location, which Johnson believed was for a gunfight.
Johnson reported that Lopez-Starr then shot at the first, second and third victims in an alley using a switch, and that he circled the block while the gunfire continued.
Lopez-Starr’s cell phone location data placed him in the vicinity of the shooting between 12:05 a.m. and 12:13 a.m. Due to the serious nature of the offenses, a warrant was requested for Lopez-Starr’s arrest.
Lopez-Starr is currently in custody. A court date has not yet been set.
About This Charge
In Minnesota, homicide charges fall under three degrees: § 609.185 (first-degree murder), § 609.19 (second-degree murder) and § 609.195 (third-degree murder). First-degree murder carries a mandatory life sentence; second-degree convictions are presumptive 12 to 40 years; third-degree up to 25 years. The Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission publishes guideline ranges that judges follow except where specific aggravating or mitigating factors are on the record.
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Jurisdictional Context
Hennepin County is Minnesota’s most populous jurisdiction. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office handles felony prosecutions across Minneapolis and 45 surrounding cities; the Fourth Judicial District presides over felony arraignments and trials at the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis.
