On February 16, 2018, 42-year-old Anthony Clark was found dead in the basement of a home in north Minneapolis. The Minneapolis Police Department responded to a report of a shooting at a residence on the 3500 block of Lyndale Avenue North. Upon arrival, officers were led to the basement by a witness, where they discovered Anthony Clark's body inside a closet, with a small caliber handgun lying next to him.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office later confirmed his identity and cause of death.
The investigation revealed that Anthony Clark was shot and killed by his older brother, 48-year-old Antonio 'Tony' Clark. Witnesses, including Anthony's girlfriend and his nine-year-old son, provided crucial information to the police. They reported that Antonio arrived at the home in a truck and went inside looking for someone. Anthony followed him into the basement, where an argument ensued. A witness overheard Anthony telling Antonio to leave his home, followed by the sound of three gunshots and Antonio's voice claiming, 'My brother just shot at me.' This was followed by three more gunshots and Anthony's voice saying, 'My brother just shot me.' The witness then heard Anthony slide down the wall and footsteps leaving the basement.
Antonio Clark was later found at North Memorial Medical Center with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds. He initially claimed that he had been robbed in a house full of 'dope fiends.' However, the police determined that Anthony had fired the small caliber handgun found near his body, while Antonio used a larger caliber handgun, which was not recovered. Antonio Clark was charged with two counts of second-degree murder and one count of illegally possessing a firearm due to a prior felony conviction.
In November 2018, Antonio Clark, then 49 years old, pleaded guilty to second-degree unintentional murder. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the fatal shooting of his brother. During the sentencing, Judge Fred Karasov noted that if Antonio had complied with the order prohibiting him from possessing a firearm, his brother would still be alive. Antonio declined to make a statement at his sentencing.
