On a Tuesday afternoon in Minneapolis, the life of 15-year-old Fred Ulysses Walker, a young Black male, was tragically cut short. The incident unfolded on August 2, 2022, at the Nicollet Mall light rail station. Walker was standing on the platform, holding only a cigarette, when a light rail train pulled into the station. Inside the train was 17-year-old Tashawn C. Powell.
Surveillance footage from Metro Transit captured the chilling moments that followed.
Powell was seen staring at Walker through the train window before drawing a handgun. In a gesture of surrender, Walker raised both of his hands, showing he was unarmed. Despite this, Powell fired a single shot from a few feet away, striking Walker in the chest. After the shooting, Powell exited the train and fled the scene. Bystanders and police rushed to Walker's aid, but his wound was fatal, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into the shooting moved swiftly thanks to the surveillance footage. Police were able to get a description of the shooter and learned that he had boarded a Metro Transit bus after fleeing the light rail platform. Authorities located the bus driver, who confirmed that an individual matching Powell's description had recently disembarked. Police searched the area and soon found Powell. He was carrying a handgun with an extended magazine, and the caliber of the weapon matched the discharged cartridge casing found next to Walker's body. Upon his arrest, Powell admitted to shooting Walker. It was later revealed that at the time of the shooting, Powell was on probation for a separate gun offense.
Tashawn Powell was charged with second-degree intentional murder. Prosecutors sought to have him tried as an adult, and he ultimately pleaded guilty to the charge. In January 2023, Powell was sentenced to nearly 23 years in prison for the killing of Fred Ulysses Walker. As part of his sentence, he was also ordered to pay over $7,000 in restitution to cover the cost of Walker's funeral. While the legal proceedings brought a conclusion to the case, a motive for the senseless act of violence was never made clear in the criminal complaint.
