Teen Takes Plea Deal in Minneapolis Mass Shooting That Injured 9

May 22

A teenager accused in a Minneapolis mass shooting that left nine people injured in 2023 pleaded guilty to multiple charges this week.

Demario Lee Dempsey, now 18, admitted in court to three counts of attempted second-degree murder for his role in the Aug. 20, 2023, shooting near East Franklin Ave. & Chicago Ave.

Prosecutors had initially charged him with nine counts of attempted first-degree premeditated murder, but the remaining six counts will be dismissed as part of the plea deal.

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According to court records, the shooting was linked to gang retaliation and unfolded just before 6 p.m. when a grey Toyota Avalon arrived near a sidewalk gathering where people were playing dice. Surveillance video showed two people exiting the vehicle—one armed with a handgun, the other with a fully automatic rifle. They opened fire on the crowd, firing at least 42 rounds in a matter of seconds. Nine people were hit by gunfire, including four juveniles and a grandmother who had been with her young granddaughter, who was trampled in the chaos.

Investigators later identified Dempsey and co-defendant Jaden Trejaun Butcher as the alleged shooters. Dempsey was 17 at the time of the attack but was certified in February to stand trial as an adult. Evidence from his phone, including messages, videos, and surveillance matches, linked him to the shooting. In one video, he allegedly drove past the scene after the attack and described the area as “a fishbowl” that was now “dry as hell,” and “a ghost town.” During an interview, Dempsey identified the vehicle used in the attack as belonging to Butcher’s grandmother.

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Dempsey's plea deal includes an agreed sentence of 182 months, or just over 15 years. The plea also stipulates that he will plead guilty to attempted second-degree intentional murder for three of the victims, with the remaining charges to be dropped at sentencing. As part of the deal, Dempsey will also provide a DNA sample.

Butcher also remains in custody and pled guilty late last year on six counts of attempted 1st degree premeditated murder. Both Dempsey and Butcher are scheduled to be formally sentenced June 30.

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