New Murder Charge in Minneapolis Mass Shooting Case
BY MN CRIME STAFF
A Minneapolis mass shooting that left one man dead and six others wounded in 2023 has resulted in new criminal charges against one of the alleged participants.
The shooting happened Aug. 11, 2023, during a backyard concert on the 2200 block of 16th Avenue South, where dozens of people had gathered for a performance described by witnesses as an LGBTQ-friendly community event.
Cyrell Ernest Boyd, 19, of Onamia, is charged with second-degree intentional murder, first-degree assault causing great bodily harm and five counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon. Court records allege Boyd intentionally aided another shooter during the attack, which investigators say involved two different firearms.
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According to the criminal complaint, Minneapolis police arrived to find numerous people suffering gunshot wounds and one victim who died shortly after officers arrived. Investigators determined at least seven people were struck by gunfire. The fatal victim suffered a gunshot wound to the back. Another victim was shot in the torso and required emergency surgery that included removal of a kidney, with additional injuries to the appendix, intestine and liver. Other victims suffered gunshot wounds to the leg, thigh and shin, while another person sustained a graze wound to the cheek.
Witnesses told investigators two men who were not part of the community attended the concert shortly before the shooting and interacted with people in the crowd. Multiple witnesses described the encounters as hostile after advances toward women at the gathering were rejected. Court records state witnesses reported the men displayed firearms and made derogatory comments about attendees’ sexual orientation. One witness recalled one of the men saying, “we're not going to use the gun or anything, but if need-be we will.”
Witnesses reported the two men left the gathering and gunfire erupted less than a minute later from a neighboring yard just north of where the crowd was assembled. Another witness said she saw the pair walking along a fence moments before shots began.
Investigators recovered nine cartridge casings from the neighboring yard, including eight 9mm casings and one .380 caliber casing, indicating two guns were fired. Surveillance video later captured two males matching the suspects’ clothing walking together in the nearby Little Earth neighborhood about an hour before the shooting.
Police also collected cigarette butts from an ashtray at the scene. Forensic testing developed a DNA profile that investigators said matched Boyd.
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A witness who lived nearby reported hearing gunfire, then seeing two people—one wearing a red hoodie and another wearing a black hoodie—running through an alley before leaving the area together. The witness followed them for several blocks and provided investigators with their direction of travel.
Court records show Boyd previously made admissions connected to the incident in juvenile court proceedings and was incarcerated at the Minnesota Department of Corrections Red Wing facility. Boyd is currently under community supervision and remains out of custody.
On Feb. 24, 2026, Boyd waived certification proceedings before a Hennepin County judge and was ordered to stand trial as an adult, leading to the newly filed charges.
Dominic James Burris, now 19, who prosecutors identified as the primary shooter, was sentenced in November 2024 to 23 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder and first-degree assault for the attack. The plea agreement resulted in five additional assault counts being dismissed. Under Minnesota law, Burris must serve two-thirds of his sentence in prison and, with credit for time already served, is expected to be eligible for supervised release after roughly 14 years.
Previous court proceedings described Boyd as a lesser-involved participant who admitted firing a weapon during the incident and later pleaded guilty in juvenile court to aiding an offender after the fact. As part of that earlier resolution, Boyd completed treatment and incarceration at the Minnesota Department of Corrections Red Wing facility and was placed under long-term state supervision.
The newly filed adult charges now place Boyd back before the court in connection with the same shooting that killed August Golden and left six others injured, continuing a case that has remained closely followed by victims, families and the Minneapolis music community.
Boyd’s first court appearance on the new charges is set for March 19.
The shooting happened Aug. 11, 2023, during a backyard concert on the 2200 block of 16th Avenue South, where dozens of people had gathered for a performance described by witnesses as an LGBTQ-friendly community event.