On a Friday afternoon in Minneapolis, tragedy unfolded in an alley on Golden Valley Road, forever altering the lives of those involved. Marlo Randy Phillips, a 27-year-old Black male, was fatally shot on February 9, 2024, in what authorities have described as an attempted robbery. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner later confirmed that Phillips died from multiple gunshot wounds, and his death was ruled a homicide.
The incident began when Phillips and another individual, a 21-year-old
man, approached a Mercedes sedan in the parking lot of a small apartment building. Inside the vehicle were the driver and his 2-year-old child. An exchange of gunfire erupted, leaving a scene of violence and chaos. When police and paramedics arrived at approximately 3:40 p.m., they found Phillips lying wounded in the alley. Despite their efforts to provide medical aid, he succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
The driver of the Mercedes, though seriously wounded by gunfire, managed to flee the scene and drive to North Memorial Health Hospital in Robbinsdale. His injuries were described as potentially life-threatening. Miraculously, the 2-year-old child in the car was unharmed during the shootout, though the vehicle sustained damage from the gunshots.
In the immediate aftermath, Minneapolis police began their investigation into the fatal shooting. The 21-year-old man who was with Phillips at the time of the incident was arrested at the scene on probable cause and taken to the Hennepin County jail. Investigators were also working to determine if shots were fired from inside the Mercedes. The surviving suspect was taken into custody, though his identity has not been widely released.
