On a Tuesday afternoon in Minneapolis, 34-year-old Pierre Romel Miller, a Black male, was fatally shot on February 27, 2024. The incident occurred around 1:30 p.m. near the intersection of East Franklin and Chicago Avenues, an area described by the Minneapolis Police Chief as a hotspot for crime, particularly narcotics sales. Miller was pronounced dead at the scene, with the Hennepin County Medical Examiner later confirming that he died from multiple gunshot wounds.
Three other individuals were also injured in the shooting.
Surveillance footage from the area showed a grey Kia pulling up near a market before parking in an alley. Three men, masked and wearing hooded sweatshirts, exited the vehicle, drew firearms, and began shooting before fleeing the scene. Investigators recovered over 20 shell casings from three different guns at the location. The investigation quickly led to the identification of a vehicle belonging to Elizabeth A. Dominguez, 29, of Brooklyn Park.
In the months following the shooting, several arrests were made. Victor M. Collins, 22, was apprehended, and a pistol found in his possession was ballistically matched to shell casings from the scene. Another suspect, Albert Jerome Lucas, 20, of St. Paul, was charged with second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder. His fingerprint was found inside the Kia, and his DNA was matched to the steering wheel. The investigation further linked the shooting to the Lows street gang, with Miller's death being one of five homicides mentioned in a federal racketeering indictment against 11 alleged gang members.
Antonio Deshawn Timberlake, 27, was also charged in connection with the killing. He later pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder and three counts of second-degree assault. As part of a plea agreement, Timberlake was sentenced to 45 years in prison.
