On the night of February 15, 2023, a burst of automatic gunfire shattered the calm on the 2800 block of Colfax Avenue South in Minneapolis, leading to the death of 29-year-old Davante Lavar-King Reid. Reid, a Black male, was one of two men who lost their lives in the violent encounter that also left a woman seriously injured. The incident began to unfold when police were called to the scene where they discovered a black SUV riddled with bullet holes on the passenger side.
Inside the vehicle was 23-year-old Khalil Amer Bryant, who had been fatally shot. The female driver of the SUV had sustained a gunshot wound to the chest but survived.
A short distance away, in the hallway of an apartment building on Bryant Avenue South, officers found Davante Reid. He had collapsed after fleeing the initial shooting scene, suffering from a fatal gunshot wound to the chest. Investigators followed a trail of blood from the SUV to where Reid was found, confirming he was part of the same violent event. It was later revealed that Reid lived in the apartment building on Colfax Avenue where the shooting occurred. The motive behind the deadly shooting appeared to stem from a drug deal that had been arranged moments before the gunfire erupted. Bryant had arrived at the location to sell drugs to Reid.
The investigation into the double homicide led police to 25-year-old Immir Fyontane Rice. Surveillance footage captured Rice at a gas station, following Bryant, and then jogging toward the black SUV just before the shooting. Authorities believe the attack was premeditated, stemming from a prior falling out between Rice and Bryant. Rice had reportedly disparaged Bryant on social media months earlier.
Immir Fyontane Rice was arrested and charged with two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. In March 2024, a jury found him guilty on all counts after deliberating for only an hour. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. It was noted during the legal proceedings that Rice was on probation for a previous illegal gun possession conviction at the time of the murders and was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a prior aggravated robbery conviction.
