On a cold Minneapolis day in January of 2014, a simple act of kindness by 69-year-old Thomas Sonnenberg, a White male, had a tragic and fatal conclusion. On January 31st, a frantic 20-year-old man, Devon Parker, appeared at the back door of Sonnenberg's home, claiming that someone was trying to kill him. A retired technician known for his generosity, Sonnenberg brought the stranger inside to protect him and promptly called 911 at the man's request.
Moments after making the call for help,
the situation inside the home took a violent turn. Sonnenberg's wife, who was also present, reported hearing Parker ask for a weapon. Shortly after, a gunshot echoed through the house. Parker had turned on the man who offered him shelter, fatally shooting Sonnenberg in the head with Sonnenberg's own gun, which he was known to carry on his hip. Following the gunshot, Parker assaulted Sonnenberg's wife, who was 68 at the time.
The deadbolt locks that Sonnenberg had installed for safety ironically trapped the assailant inside the house with his victims. When police arrived, they discovered Parker still inside the residence. He was apprehended at the scene and taken into custody. Investigators found Sonnenberg in a kitchen chair, having succumbed to the gunshot wound.
Devon Parker, who had a history of criminal activity and was, in fact, scheduled to be sentenced for a separate assault case on the very day of the murder, was charged with second-degree murder. Authorities noted that Parker appeared paranoid and distressed when he first approached the Sonnenberg home, but the motive for his violent actions against the couple who tried to help him remained unclear. The tragic event left a family and a community mourning the loss of a man who was described as a good Samaritan, a loving grandfather, and a rock for his family.
