Juamada K. Anderson, a 22-year-old Black male, was fatally shot on the evening of May 22, 2021, in Duluth, Minnesota. The incident occurred in the Central Hillside neighborhood where Anderson was spending time with friends on a porch. A tense situation developed within a small crowd that had gathered, leading to a scuffle and the drawing of weapons.
During the altercation, 17-year-old Patrick W. Battees, a friend of Anderson's, was punched.
After breaking away from the crowd, Battees turned and fired a. 45 caliber handgun into the group of people. The single shot struck Anderson in the head, and he died shortly thereafter. Surveillance video captured the sequence of events.
Patrick Battees was arrested and initially charged in juvenile court, but his case was later certified for adult trial. He claimed self-defense, stating that his life had been threatened. In January 2023, a jury found Battees guilty of second-degree unintentional murder and reckless discharge of a firearm. He was subsequently sentenced to 12½ years in prison. During the sentencing, a representative for Anderson's family expressed their belief that the shooting was not intentional and that they were hurt, but not mad at Battees. Battees expressed his remorse, stating, "If I could take it back, I would."
Several other individuals faced charges related to the incident. Laurel Ladd was convicted of aiding an offender and received probation. Tyrone Childs Sr. was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm and of a drive-by shooting after he fired a 9mm from his van following the initial shot by Battees. Another man, Markus Morris, faced similar charges to Childs. Duluth police initially detained one suspect at the scene and later identified additional suspects through their investigation, including through video surveillance that showed at least one or two other individuals shooting at the suspect as he fled.
