Man Charged In December North Minneapolis Shooting Death
BY MN CRIME STAFF
A Crystal man is charged with second-degree murder after prosecutors say he shot and killed a man during a street confrontation on the north side of Minneapolis in December.
Isaac Nathaniel Childress Jr., 40, is charged with second-degree murder with intent but without premeditation in the Dec. 10, 2025, shooting death of Ty’wann Robinson.
According to the criminal complaint, Minneapolis police were dispatched at around 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 10, after a ShotSpotter activation and multiple 911 calls reporting gunfire. Officers arrived to find Robinson lying on a sidewalk with life-threatening gunshot wounds. Police rendered aid until paramedics arrived and Robinson was taken to North Memorial Healthcare, where he later died.
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Investigators say initial information from people at the scene indicated Robinson had been walking with his girlfriend when two people dressed in black approached them and fled after the shooting. One person ran from the area while the other drove away in a white SUV.
Surveillance video obtained from a nearby building captured the encounter. Investigators say the footage shows Robinson and his girlfriend walking northbound on Emerson Avenue North when a white SUV arrives. The driver exits the vehicle and becomes involved in a physical fight with Robinson. The passenger then approaches as the altercation continues. Robinson is seen standing up and then running away. The passenger raises an arm toward Robinson and a muzzle flash is visible as Robinson falls to the ground. The video shows the shooter approaching Robinson and firing at least one additional round while Robinson is on the ground. The two people then separate, with the driver returning to the SUV and fleeing while the shooter runs away on foot.
An autopsy later determined Robinson was shot five times, including in his arm, side and back.
Using license plate reader data, investigators identified a white GMC Yukon in the area within five minutes of the shooting. The SUV was registered to a woman identified as the mother of Robinson’s girlfriend. Police learned Childress and another man were her sons and the brothers of the woman walking with Robinson.
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Investigators also learned Robinson and his girlfriend had an extensive domestic violence history and were subject to a domestic abuse no contact order. The girlfriend told police that earlier that night Robinson had assaulted and choked her, prompting her to call her mother. She said that later, while walking with Robinson, she noticed her brother behind them and said he began fighting Robinson. She told investigators that Childress was also present and that Childress shot and killed Robinson. She denied calling her brothers to come to the scene.
Police interviewed the brother who admitted fighting Robinson. He told investigators he and Childress were with their mother when they received the call describing the earlier assault. He said they left in the white SUV to find Robinson and confront him. He told investigators he saw Childress with a firearm and heard him say he was going to kill Robinson, though he claimed he told Childress they were only going to fight and did not need a gun. The brother admitted that when they located Robinson and their sister walking, he got out of the SUV and began fighting Robinson. He told police he then observed Childress shoot Robinson “four or five times.” After the shooting, the brother said he ran back to the SUV and drove away without letting Childress get inside, leaving Childress to flee on foot.
On Dec. 16, 2025, investigators received information that Childress was prepared to turn himself in. He was booked into custody by Minneapolis police at approximately 12:12 p.m. and remains in custody. After being advised of his rights, Childress agreed to speak with investigators. According to the complaint, he admitted learning Robinson had assaulted and choked his sister and acknowledged going with his brother to the scene in the white SUV. He admitted he was the passenger, that his brother fought Robinson and that he shot Robinson, telling investigators he was “trying to protect my sister.” Childress said he could not recall where he discarded the firearm and claimed he blacked out during the shooting and did not remember how many times he fired.
Booking records show Childress remains in custody under a hold without bail, with bail listed at $1,000,000 with conditions. His next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 16 in Minneapolis.
Court records show Childress is legally prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions. His criminal history includes a first-degree burglary conviction in April 2016, first-degree aggravated robbery in January 2019 and simple robbery in August 2020. A previous aggravated robbery case from 2018 describes a violent assault in which Childress admitted participating in a planned robbery that left a 61-year-old victim with severe injuries.
If convicted of the murder charge, Childress faces up to 40 years in prison.
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