A Minneapolis man fired a modified machine gun at a group outside the Wedge Co-op in uptown, killing one man and wounding another as the group fled.
Markez Patton, 19, faces charges of aiding and abetting 2nd-degree murder, attempted 2nd-degree murder, possessing a machine gun and possessing a firearm as a person convicted of a crime of violence, according to a complaint filed Wednesday in Hennepin County District Court.
Officers responded to a ShotSpotter activation and 911 call at about 1:20 a.m. on June 21 in the parking lot of the Wedge Co-op on Lyndale Avenue South. They found a man on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds. The victim was transported to the hospital and pronounced dead. Police later learned a second victim had arrived at the hospital with a gunshot wound to the foot.
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Investigators reviewed surveillance video showing a group of five masked suspects, including Patton, approaching the victims’ group on the sidewalk. At least four suspects pulled out firearms, and two fired at the group. The victims ran, but one fell after a short distance. Officers recovered 16 cartridge casings at the scene, and ShotSpotter audio captured three bursts of automatic gunfire and five shots from a semi-automatic handgun. Ballistics indicated two different guns were used.
Additional video showed the five suspects with a sixth person at a nearby apartment before the shooting, all wearing the same clothing but with faces uncovered. The group was seen getting in and out of a dark Jeep Grand Cherokee, which circled the block before the shooting. The five exited the Jeep, walked toward the group and opened fire, then fled back to the waiting vehicle.
Patton was identified in surveillance footage as one of the shooters. Video showed him pulling out a firearm and firing in bursts consistent with an auto-sear or “switch” modification for fully automatic fire. After the shooting, Patton fled with the group to the Jeep.
Following the shooting, Patton was arrested for a separate offense. During that arrest, he fled from officers on foot. Officers recovered a firearm equipped with an auto-sear and extended magazine from bushes along Patton’s flight path, and surveillance video showed him making a throwing motion toward that area. DNA testing on the recovered firearm is pending.
In a post-Miranda statement, Patton denied tossing a firearm but identified himself in surveillance stills as one of the five suspects at the apartment before the shooting. Court records state Patton is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a conviction for simple robbery on May 11, 2026. The charge was filed Wednesday.
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.
