On February 10, 2022, a tragic event unfolded in Minneapolis, Minnesota, leading to the death of 23-year-old Malik Travon Carr-Riggins, a Black / African American male. On that Thursday afternoon, around 3:40 p.m., police responded to reports of gunshots near Sheridan Avenue North and North 21st Avenue. Upon arrival, they discovered a four-door sedan that had come to rest in a snowbank after jumping the curb. The vehicle was still running and in drive, with a rear passenger door left open.
Inside, officers found Carr-Riggins and another man, 30-year-old Case Samuel Ritzman of St. Paul, in the front seats, both having sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Despite the life-saving efforts of Minneapolis police and paramedics, both men were pronounced dead at the scene.
The subsequent investigation into the double homicide pieced together the events that led to the fatal shooting. Authorities utilized phone data, surveillance footage, and witness accounts to track the victims' final moments. It was revealed that a third individual, Lavell Jacvon Piggie, then 20 years old, had entered the vehicle with Carr-Riggins and Ritzman. The three men then drove across north Minneapolis for approximately eight minutes. Surveillance video from the area captured the sound of eight gunshots, and witnesses, along with the footage, showed Piggie exiting the car immediately after the shots were fired and fleeing the scene. The motive behind the killings was determined to be a dispute over a significant quantity of missing drugs, which included crack cocaine and fentanyl.
Following an intense investigation, Lavell Jacvon Piggie was identified as the sole suspect. On February 22, 2022, just twelve days after the murders, police located Piggie. A high-speed pursuit ensued, which ended when officers performed a PIT maneuver, spinning his vehicle to a halt. A search of a residence associated with Piggie uncovered substantial amounts of suspected crack cocaine, marijuana, and fentanyl, over $3,000 in cash, and a bag containing. 40 caliber ammunition, matching the casings found in the car.
Initially charged with second-degree murder, Piggie was later indicted by a grand jury on more severe charges, including first-degree premeditated murder. In May 2023, to avoid a trial, he pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder. On July 14, 2023, a Hennepin County judge sentenced Lavell Piggie to 51 years in prison for the murders of Malik Travon Carr-Riggins and Case Samuel Ritzman, bringing a legal conclusion to the case. The loss was deeply felt by the community and particularly by Carr-Riggins' family, as he was a father to five young children and described as a dedicated caregiver. The tragedy was further compounded for his family by the fact that the perpetrator, Piggie, had been considered a family friend.
