On a summer evening in a Minneapolis suburb, a young man's life was cut short by gunfire. Marlon Pompey, a 28-year-old Black male from Maple Grove, was at a gas station in Plymouth on June 9, 2022, when violence erupted. Just before 8:30 p.m., at the Sami's Stop off Highway 169, located in the 9600 block of 36th Avenue North, multiple gunshots rang out.
Witnesses reported seeing a man fire a handgun several times at Pompey before fleeing the scene in a sedan.
When Plymouth police officers arrived, they found Marlon Pompey suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. First responders immediately began to provide medical aid before he was rushed to a nearby hospital. Despite their efforts, Pompey succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner later confirmed his death was a homicide resulting from the gunshot wound.
In the days that followed, the Plymouth Police Department, with assistance from the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, launched an investigation. They identified a suspect, 23-year-old Daniel James Hart of Brooklyn Park, and released his photo to the public, asking for assistance in locating him. Investigators believed the shooting was not a random act. The vehicle Hart was allegedly seen leaving in, a black BMW 740, was recovered after a tip from the public.
On June 17, 2022, the same day police sought the public's help, Daniel Hart turned himself in to authorities at the Hennepin County Jail. He was initially charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, as his prior felony convictions barred him from legally owning a gun or ammunition. While the criminal complaint referred to Hart as the "shooting suspect," he was not immediately charged with murder. Court records showed that Hart was released from jail just over two hours after turning himself in, after posting a $100,000 bond.
