In the late hours of October 7, 2025, the vibrant atmosphere inside Bar Zia in downtown Minneapolis was shattered by gunfire, leaving 21-year-old DaMarco Fletcher Jr. dead and three other people wounded. Fletcher, a Black male from Minneapolis, was pronounced dead at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds. The incident unfolded around 11:30 p.m. at the bar located on South 4th Street.
Family and friends remembered Fletcher as a young man with a vibrant smile who could light up a room.
He was described as a goal-driven and tenacious individual who was working as a PCA and studying for his real estate license. His mother, Ericka Wheeler, said that detectives informed her that her son was not the aggressor in the altercation that led to the shooting.
The investigation into the shooting led to the arrests of two men. Arlonzo Williams Jr., 26, was charged with second-degree murder, three counts of second-degree attempted murder, and illegal possession of a firearm. Dantrell DaJuan Clark, 24, was charged as an accomplice with second-degree murder and three counts of second-degree attempted murder. According to the criminal complaint, Williams, Clark, and a third unnamed accomplice are suspected members of the "Lows" street gang, and Fletcher was allegedly affiliated with the rival "Highs" gang.
Surveillance footage from the bar showed Williams and his accomplices entering and exiting the establishment multiple times. They were patted down by security and given wristbands upon their initial entry. However, they were not re-checked for weapons when they re-entered the bar. The complaint alleges that just before the shooting, one of the men punched Fletcher multiple times in the face on the dance floor. Shortly after, Williams allegedly shot Fletcher from a close distance. The group then fled the scene. Williams was arrested during a traffic stop on October 24, and Clark was arrested in early November. The bar was temporarily closed following the shooting due to an insurance-related ordinance violation.
