Drug Dispute at Encampment Led to Deadly Shootout, Charges Say

Sep 28

Prosecutors have charged an Illinois man with first-degree riot resulting in death after a shootout at a Minneapolis encampment left a woman dead and several others injured.

According to a criminal complaint, 31-year-old Trivon D. Leonard Jr. is accused of arming himself and joining a group confrontation inside the encampment near East Lake Street and 28th Avenue South on Sept. 15 that escalated into more than 30 gunshots.

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Leonard also faces a charge of unlawful firearm possession due to prior felony convictions, including robbery and armed habitual criminal offenses in Illinois.

Police responded around 9:57 p.m. after witnesses reported the gunfire. Officers found seven people with gunshot wounds and cartridge casings of multiple calibers scattered across the site. One of the victims, 30-year-old Jacinda Oakgrove, was shot in the head and later pronounced dead. An autopsy confirmed she died of that wound. Six others, including people involved in the dispute and bystanders, were treated for injuries and eventually discharged from hospitals.

PREVIOUSLY: 8 Shot at Minneapolis Homeless Encampment Near Lake Street

*Officers search a south Minneapolis encampment after a shooting left 7 hurt earlier this month.* ***MN CRIME PHOTO***

*Officers secure the perimeter of a Minneapolis encampment after a shooting left 7 hurt earlier this month.* ***MN CRIME PHOTO***

Witnesses and victims described two groups confronting each other over drug sales inside the camp. One man reported hearing two groups arguing before shots rang out. Another witness told investigators that Leonard’s group arrived in a white SUV, declared their intent to sell drugs in the camp and waved firearms while arguing with an existing group already selling there, the court documents say. The dispute turned violent when someone from Leonard’s group accused another of “reaching” for a weapon, sparking an exchange of gunfire.

Investigators reviewed surveillance video from nearby buildings showing five men arriving in the SUV, walking into the camp and confronting others. One of those men, later identified as Leonard, was captured on video fleeing with a gun in his hand, climbing a fence and entering a waiting Hyundai before leaving the area. Detectives confirmed Leonard had been released from the Hennepin County Jail only hours earlier that day after serving time on a DWI arrest. Video from his release showed him wearing the same clothing as during the shootout.

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Leonard was arrested Sept. 24. Officers said he was carrying baggies of suspected fentanyl and meth, over $1,000 in cash and a fake Illinois ID. He also wore the same shoes seen in the surveillance video. In a Mirandized interview, Leonard first denied involvement but then admitted he and his associates were drug dealers from Illinois who moved to Minneapolis after authorities shut down their usual sales location on the Midtown Greenway. He told investigators that after being released from jail, he met up with four associates, all armed, and went to the Lake Street encampment to start selling drugs. Leonard admitted firing his gun “once or twice” until it jammed. He claimed he later sold the firearm for $200 on Lake Street.

During questioning, investigators showed Leonard a photo of the deceased victim and told him she died because his group entered the camp and initiated the armed confrontation. The complaint notes Leonard did not dispute that conclusion but displayed no remorse.

Court records show Leonard has multiple felony convictions in Illinois, including robbery, dangerous drugs, and firearm possession. He most recently served a prison sentence beginning in Nov. 2023 before being released in Jan. 2025, and was still on parole. Minnesota arrest records show he was charged in June with a first-degree controlled substance crime and arrested again for DWI just two days before the encampment shooting.

Leonard is being held on $1 million bail. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison for the riot charge.

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