In the spring of 2013, just a day shy of his twentieth birthday, Marcos Pantaleon, a 19-year-old male, had his life cut short. A senior at Shakopee High School, he was known as a kind and family-oriented young man who worked at a local KFC to help support his loved ones and had aspirations of becoming an auto mechanic after his upcoming graduation. The outgoing and well-liked teenager's life came to a violent end on the night of April 18, 2013, during an armed robbery at his family's apartment in Shakopee, Minnesota.
The tragic events unfolded at the Hunters Ridge apartment complex on Gorman Street. Shakopee Police responded to a call of shots fired at approximately 10:44 p.m. Upon their arrival, they discovered a chaotic scene. Marcos Pantaleon was found on the living room floor with a fatal gunshot wound to his side and was pronounced dead at the scene. Two other individuals were also victims of the violence that night. Marcos's 22-year-old brother, Miguel Pantaleon, was shot in the arm and thumb, while a 17-year-old cousin sustained gunshot wounds to both of his legs. Both survived their injuries.
The investigation into the homicide quickly revealed that the incident was not a random act of violence. The events of that night were set in motion by a former neighbor, 27-year-old Steven Andre Moore of Minneapolis. Moore had previously purchased marijuana from Miguel Pantaleon and orchestrated the robbery, bringing two armed accomplices with him. After Moore knocked on the door, he and the two other men forced their way into the apartment. One of the gunmen held Miguel at gunpoint, demanding money and stealing his wallet which contained $400 and credit cards. A struggle ensued between Marcos and one of the intruders, which led to the fatal shot being fired. The gunmen then shot the other two victims before fleeing the scene.
Authorities swiftly moved to apprehend those responsible. Steven Andre Moore was arrested the morning after the shooting. In the following months, the other two suspects were also taken into custody. Justin Kenyatta Watson pleaded guilty to second-degree unintentional murder. The third man, Michael Devon Jarmon, 31, was apprehended in Las Vegas in August of that year and awaited extradition to Minnesota to face charges that included second-degree intentional murder and first-degree aggravated robbery. Moore was charged with second-degree murder, first-degree aggravated robbery, and two counts of second-degree assault.
