On September 8, 2021, a neighborhood dispute in the Sumner-Glenwood area of Minneapolis tragically ended the life of 12-year-old London Michael Bean. The young Black male had just completed his first day of sixth grade at Sojourner Truth Academy before the fatal encounter. The incident occurred in the afternoon, around 3:40 p.m., in the 800 block of North Aldrich Avenue.
The conflict began as a fight between London and another boy.
Witnesses reported that as the fight was ongoing, the other boy's older brother, later identified as 18-year-old Jeremiah Marquise Grady, appeared at the scene. Grady, who was wearing a black ski mask, approached the crowd that had gathered and brandished a handgun. He shouted at the onlookers before firing multiple shots. Two of the bullets struck London in the chest and abdomen. He was rushed to Hennepin County Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. The cause of death was determined to be multiple gunshot wounds.
In the weeks following the shooting, Jeremiah Grady remained at large. He was charged in mid-September, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. In November 2021, with the help of community partners, Grady's mother arranged for his peaceful surrender to the Minneapolis police. Grady was charged with second-degree murder for the death of London Bean and second-degree attempted murder for firing at a teenage girl who was in a nearby vehicle.
Jeremiah Grady eventually pleaded guilty to the charges against him. In August 2023, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the murder of London Bean. It was also revealed that Grady's father, Letterance Grady, had allegedly encouraged his son to retaliate against London's family due to a belief that his other children were being bullied. Letterance Grady was charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder. During the emotional sentencing hearing, London's grandmother addressed the court, holding her grandson's ashes and expressing her profound loss.
