Grand Jury Indicts Minneapolis Man in Ex-Girlfriend’s Killing
BY MN CRIME STAFF
A Hennepin County grand jury has indicted a Minneapolis man on two counts of first-degree murder in the shooting death of a woman who had an active order for protection against him.
Prosecutors say David Eugene Wright, 51, is accused in the Sept. 14, 2025 killing of Mariah Samuels.
The indictments include first-degree premeditated murder and first-degree murder committed as part of a past pattern of domestic abuse. A conviction on either count requires life in prison, and a premeditated murder conviction would remove the possibility of parole.
The charges stem from a shooting near the 1400 block of Russell Avenue North. Police were alerted by 911 callers and ShotSpotter activations indicating multiple rounds had been fired. Samuels, 34, was found lying on the ground near the open driver’s door of a Jeep Compass with multiple gunshot wounds to her upper body. Officers began CPR, but she was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.
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Investigators documented extensive evidence, including bullet damage on both sides of the Jeep and 15 discharged cartridge casings recovered near the vehicle. ShotSpotter data indicated roughly a dozen shots were fired.
Court records show Samuels was the protected party in a served Order for Protection against Wright that had been issued on Aug. 27, 2025, less than three weeks before the shooting. In her petition, Samuels reported ending her relationship with Wright days earlier and described an incident in which he allegedly threatened her while armed and assaulted her. The court granted the order based on those allegations.
Witnesses described hearing an initial burst of gunfire, a brief pause with screaming, and then additional shots. One witness reported seeing a man standing by the Jeep, removing items, then leaving the area on a bicycle while holding a firearm. Another witness said he saw a man with shoulder-length dreadlocks open the driver’s door and shoot Samuels multiple times at close range before attempting to move her and drive the vehicle, then fleeing on a bicycle when that failed.
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Neighbors provided security video showing a man matching Wright’s description riding away shortly after the shooting. Family members who arrived at the scene identified Wright as Samuels’ ex-boyfriend. Her sister told police that Samuels had reported earlier that day that Wright was violating the order for protection by contacting her, and she provided officers with text messages and video documenting prior assaults.
Wright was arrested the next day, Sept. 15, 2025, in Anoka and booked into the Hennepin County Jail. During a jail interview, police say he acknowledged knowing Samuels and made statements indicating he was not going to contest the case. Investigators also confirmed Wright was on federal probation and prohibited from possessing firearms due to a prior felony drug conviction from 2006.
He was initially charged with second-degree murder and illegal possession of a firearm. In late November, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office convened a grand jury and the indictments were finalized on Thursday, Dec. 11.
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