Minneapolis Man Sentenced to 86 Years in Triple Killing
BY MN CRIME STAFF
A man will spend decades in prison after a jury found him guilty of killing three people during a shooting at a homeless encampment in Minneapolis in October 2024.
Earl Bennett, 42, of Minneapolis, was sentenced Feb. 18 to more than 86 years in prison after being convicted of three counts of second-degree intentional murder and one count of illegal firearm possession.
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The shooting happened Oct. 27, 2024, at an encampment in the back lot of a building on the 4400 block of Snelling Avenue, where Minneapolis police found three people inside a tent suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Louis Mitchell Lemons Jr., 32, and Christopher Martell Washington, 38, were pronounced dead at the scene. Samantha Jo Moss, 35, was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries and died on Nov. 2, 2024.
PREVIOUSLY: 2 Dead, 1 Critical After Minneapolis Encampment Shooting
According to court records, witnesses said a man identifying himself as “E” approached the tent asking to speak with one of the occupants. After being allowed inside, gunfire erupted about 10 to 15 minutes later. Investigators recovered nine shell casings from inside the tent, all fired from the same firearm. Surveillance video captured the suspect arriving and leaving on an electric bike.
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Investigators later connected Bennett to the killings after a separate shooting the following day at a sober living home on the 3500 block of Columbus Avenue South, where witnesses identified Bennett as the gunman. Authorities also linked the firearm recovered after a later confrontation with Saint Paul police to both shooting scenes through forensic testing, according to the criminal complaint.
A Hennepin County jury returned guilty verdicts Dec. 22, 2025, on all three murder counts as well as possession of a firearm by an ineligible person.
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Earlier the same week as the encampment killings, prosecutors say Bennett shot and critically injured a man at a sober living residence in Minneapolis. That case remains pending, with Bennett scheduled to appear next in court on April 17.
Days after the Minneapolis shootings, Saint Paul officers encountered Bennett while responding to a shots-fired call. Authorities say he pointed a gun at officers, who then shot him. He survived after being hospitalized and later faced additional charges connected to that incident, with court proceedings in that case still ongoing.
PREVIOUSLY: Man Critically Injured In Saint Paul Officer Involved Shooting
The scene of an officer-involved shooting in Saint Paul on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024. MN CRIME PHOTO
