Hibbing Man Faces Murder Charge After Admitting to Shooting 24-Year-Old

Nov 6

A Hibbing man is charged with second-degree murder after police say he admitted to shooting another man multiple times then tried to claim self-defense.

The shooting happened sunday in the parking lot of an apartment building early Sunday morning.

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Prosecutors say 30-year-old Daniel James Dale fatally shot 24-year-old Parker Charles Johnson around 2:15 a.m. Nov. 2 outside the Meadowview Apartments in Hibbing.

When officers arrived, they found Johnson lying next to a truck with gunshot wounds to his chest and abdomen. He was pronounced dead at the scene despite lifesaving efforts. Officers also found a shotgun near Johnson’s body and several spent 9mm casings nearby.

Witnesses told police that a man in a Deadpool sweatshirt was seen firing three shots in the parking lot before standing near the entrance of the building where a party was being held. Investigators later identified that man as Dale. Officers initially spoke with him at the scene, where he laughed and said he had “seen s*** like this before” from living in Seattle, but claimed he didn’t know what happened and that he was inside the apartment when the shots were fired. He was released at the time because his involvement had not yet been determined.

Later that day, Dale voluntarily went to the Hibbing Police Department, where he gave several statements. In his first interview, he said he heard gunshots while stepping outside to get his sister’s vape but didn’t see the shooter. He denied knowing the victim and refused to turn over his gun to investigators.

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After officers informed him about Minnesota’s self-defense laws, Dale changed his story. He admitted to shooting Johnson, saying the victim had pointed a long gun at him in the parking lot and that he fired two or three times in response. Dale told officers, “Yes, I f***ing shot him and it has been eating away at me all f***ing night.” He described feeling threatened, saying Johnson had asked if he “wanted to see something funny” before grabbing a gun from his truck.

Dale told police he shot Johnson twice “as close as possible,” then watched him fall. He admitted standing over the victim without helping, saying, “When I saw where my bullets hit, I knew he was f***ed. I stood over him. I looked down at him. I did not want my hand, like my DNA on the situation.”

Investigators later reviewed security footage recorded 170 yards away that captured audio of the gunfire. The recording showed one shot, followed by a six-second pause, then two shots fired in quick succession—contradicting Dale’s claim that he fired immediately in self-defense.

A preliminary autopsy confirmed Johnson was shot three times: once in the mouth, and twice in the back. One bullet passed through his chest, and another exited his abdomen. The report and audio evidence indicated that Johnson was facing away when the final two shots were fired.

Dale made an initial court appearance on Wednesday where bail was set at $1 million. He remains held in the St. Louis County Jail. If convicted of second-degree murder with intent, he faces up to 40 years in prison.

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