Fridley Man Accused of Shooting at Friend Over $100 Debt
BY MN CRIME STAFF
A suspect allegedly pulled up to an acquaintance's driveway in Fridley, demanded $100 and then fired rounds into the man's minivan as he tried to drive away.
Darien Leray Mansell, 23, of Fridley, faces felony charges of attempted second-degree murder, second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, first-degree aggravated robbery and drive-by shooting toward an occupied motor vehicle.
Officers responded around 10:40 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17, to the 5800 block of 4th Street Northeast in Fridley on reports of a shooting. Multiple callers reported hearing rapid gunfire and a vehicle driving away, court documents say.
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One of the callers told officers her son had been shot at and left the area in a 2013 Dodge Caravan. She tracked his location through a phone app and said he was near Highway 252 and 70th Avenue in Brooklyn Center. Officers found the victim there and learned he hadn't been hit but had been shot at multiple times while inside his vehicle, the complaint says.
The victim told officers he'd been live-streaming on Facebook after returning home from dropping his girlfriend off in Coon Rapids. He went inside, came back out to his vehicle and began backing down the driveway when he noticed a white Jeep parked next to it. He saw a man get out and recognized him as Mansell, someone he'd known for years.
The victim told officers he'd borrowed $100 from Mansell about four months earlier to buy diapers for his child. Mansell approached the passenger side of the vehicle holding a Glock 17 handgun with a silver slide, a light attachment and a laser attachment. It was a gun the victim said he'd seen Mansell carry before, the documents say. Mansell tapped the gun on the window and demanded the money.
Officers stop the victim’s minivan Tuesday night in Brooklyn Center. via MnDOT
The victim accelerated away. As he drove off, he heard several gunshots and what sounded like bullets striking the vehicle. Mansell continued firing rounds into the vehicle while chasing it, according to court records. The victim was still live-streaming on Facebook during the shooting.
Officers reviewed the Facebook video and said it matched the victim's account. They could hear gunfire and what sounded like bullets hitting the vehicle in the recording. Five shell casings were found near the Fridley address and officers counted at least four bullet holes in the rear and passenger side of the vehicle.
Attempted second-degree murder carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. First-degree aggravated robbery carries up to 20 years. Drive-by shooting toward an occupied motor vehicle carries up to 10 years and a $20,000 fine. The firearm modifier on all counts carries a mandatory minimum sentence.
Officers responded around 10:40 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17, to the 5800 block of 4th Street Northeast in Fridley on reports of a shooting. Multiple callers reported hearing rapid gunfire.