On a tragic December day in 2018, the life of Kevin John Weiss Jr., a 35-year-old male from Duluth, Minnesota, was cut short. He passed away on Monday, December 10, 2018, succumbing to gun violence. His death was not a random act but the culmination of a personal dispute that turned fatal in the Gary-New Duluth neighborhood.
The incident unfolded near the home of a woman Weiss was dating.
He had reportedly been asked to leave her house and later returned to talk with her and retrieve some of his belongings. At the scene was Brian Ross Shaw, the woman's ex-boyfriend. An altercation occurred, and Shaw, armed with a gun, shot Weiss in the abdomen. Kevin John Weiss Jr. was pronounced dead at the scene.
Initially, Shaw claimed the shooting was an accident, stating that Weiss had walked toward him, causing him to fall and the gun to discharge. However, the investigation led to his arrest and prosecution. Shaw, a resident of Carlton, Minnesota, eventually pleaded guilty to unintentional second-degree murder.
The legal proceedings faced several delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the defendant's health issues. In December 2022, Brian Ross Shaw, then 38, was sentenced for the killing of Kevin Weiss Jr. Following emotional victim impact statements from Weiss's family, the judge imposed the maximum sentence of more than 16 years in prison.
