A 19-year-old Brooklyn Park man fired a gun in a Minneapolis alley during a children’s birthday party, striking the victim in the arm as dozens of shots rang out, according to charges.
Dashon Lavell Amos, 19 faces charges of possessing a firearm after a conviction for a crime of violence and aiding and abetting second-degree riot with a dangerous weapon. The charges were filed September 2 in Hennepin County District Court.
According to the complaint, officers responded at about 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 4, 2026, to a report of shots fired at a residence in north Minneapolis. When officers arrived, a group at a children’s birthday party told them someone had been shot and transported to North Memorial Hospital.
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Investigators spoke with the victim at the hospital, who had a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to his upper arm. The victim said he was at his grandson’s birthday party when he heard gunshots and realized he had been struck.
At the scene, officers found numerous discharged cartridge casings scattered throughout the alley and surrounding area, including thirty-three 9mm casings, three 5.7x28mm casings and four .40 caliber casings. Police canvassed for witnesses and spoke with a juvenile male who said a group of shooters came from the alley and knocked on his door. The juvenile reported that a social media post had prompted the group to come to the residence.
Investigators obtained surveillance video from the housing complex showing a group of suspects arriving and walking up to the back door of one of the units. Most of the group wore masks and appeared to be carrying firearms. One suspect wore a ski mask, tan or yellow shirt, black shorts and white shoes.
A witness driving down the alley during the shooting told police she saw a young male in a yellow shirt standing next to her car and firing a gun westward. She did not see anyone else shooting at that moment.
Crime lab personnel processed the scene and found a dent on a vehicle in the alley with what appeared to be fingerprints. Forensic scientists matched the fingerprints to Dashon Lavell Amos. Investigators also recovered a video taken about 50 minutes before the shooting that showed Amos wearing the same clothing as the suspect described in the yellow shirt, with multiple firearms visible.
Members of the group in the video matched those seen on surveillance footage just before the shooting. Cell phone records placed Amos in the area at the time of the shooting.
The complaint states Amos is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a conviction for first-degree aggravated robbery on November 7, 2025. He is also charged in a separate case with possession of a machine gun and prohibited person in possession of a firearm for offenses committed on July 7, 2026.
Police believe the same group of suspects involved in this shooting was also involved in a homicide in Uptown Minneapolis on June 21, 2026 and that the group is known as “1500” or “Wayne City,” a violent street gang linked to multiple shootings and homicides in recent months. A court date has not yet been set.
About This Charge
Minnesota’s weapons offenses include § 624.713 (felon in possession of a firearm, five-year mandatory minimum for a prior crime of violence), § 609.66 (dangerous weapons, including drive-by shooting at § 609.66 subd. 1e) and § 609.165 (firearm restoration after a felony). Discharge of a firearm within a municipality is charged under § 609.66 subd. 1a.
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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.
