In the early morning hours of a violent Fourth of July weekend in 2015, the life of 16-year-old Sabrae Monte McAlester, a male from St. Louis Park, was tragically cut short in downtown Minneapolis. Just after 2 a.m. on July 5th, near a bus shelter at the intersection of Hennepin Avenue and Fourth Street, an argument broke out between two groups of people. As foot patrol officers in the area heard gunshots, they saw a crowd fleeing the scene.
Arriving at the source of the chaos, they discovered two individuals had been shot.
Sabrae had been struck in the head by the gunfire. He and the other victim, a 24-year-old man shot in the thigh, were rushed to Hennepin County Medical Center for treatment. For two days, Sabrae fought for his life, but his injuries proved too severe, and he died on July 7th. In the midst of their grief, his family made the decision to donate his organs, an act that potentially saved six other lives. His mother later shared that she had been worried about the crowd her son was involved with and had even sought help to keep him safe. On the night of the shooting, he had reportedly sneaked out of his father's home to be with friends downtown.
The investigation into the shooting led Minneapolis police to identify an 18-year-old from Burnsville, Dejon Frazier, as the suspect. Surveillance video from the area captured the argument between the two groups that preceded the shooting. Witnesses described the shooter as a man wearing a camouflaged hooded sweatshirt. Frazier was arrested shortly after the incident wearing clothing that matched the description but was initially released. Detectives continued to review surveillance footage and interview witnesses. A significant break in the case came on July 8th when officers, responding to another shooting, found Frazier and discovered a. 38 caliber handgun nearby. Ballistics tests later indicated that this could be the weapon used to kill McAlester.
In September 2015, Dejon Frazier was formally charged with second-degree murder for the death of Sabrae McAlester and attempted second-degree murder for the injury of the other man. Prosecutors alleged that Frazier opened fire following the dispute between the groups, leading to the fatal outcome that ended a young life and marked a violent holiday weekend for the city.
