In the early morning hours of March 27, 2015, Justin Williams, a 26-year-old Black / African American man, was walking near a parking ramp in downtown Minneapolis when his life was tragically cut short. At approximately 6:30 a.m., near the intersection of North 10th Street and Currie Avenue, a male figure dressed in black with white shoes approached him from behind and opened fire, striking him multiple times. The sound of gunshots alerted an off-duty police officer working nearby, who rushed to the scene to find Williams suffering from grave injuries. He was quickly transported to Hennepin County Medical Center, but tragically succumbed to his wounds and was pronounced dead at 8:06 a.m.
The assailant, masked and determined to conceal his identity, fled the scene on a bicycle, heading toward the Cedar bike trail. Investigators immediately began to piece together the events of that morning, reviewing surveillance footage from the area and interviewing witnesses. Their breakthrough came from a security camera at a light rail station near Target Field. Hours before the shooting, the camera had captured a man matching the suspect's description purchasing a ticket. Crucially, in this footage, he was not wearing a ski mask, allowing his face to be seen. This vital piece of evidence, coupled with another camera on the bike trail that showed the same individual cycling away from the crime scene just moments after the shooting, gave authorities a clear image of their suspect.
The investigation swiftly led to the identification of Jermaine James McMahon, then 27 years old. A search along the bike trail uncovered a discarded ski mask and black sweatpants, along with the light rail ticket purchased by the suspect earlier that morning. Within a week of the shooting, McMahon was located and arrested at a homeless shelter in St. Paul. He was subsequently charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of Justin Williams.
In April 2015, Jermaine McMahon was formally charged with second-degree unintentional murder. The evidence against him, including the compelling surveillance footage and witness accounts, led to a guilty verdict in court on May 30, 2018. Following his conviction, McMahon was sentenced to 11 years in prison for the shooting death of Justin Williams. The court credited him with 1,195 days already served.
