17-year-old Gunman to Stand Trial in Minneapolis Mass Shooting Case
A suspect who was 17 at the time of a mass shooting in Minneapolis that left nine people injured has now been certified to stand trial as an adult.
Prosecutors say the shooting was an act of gang retaliation and involved two gunmen who opened fire on a group gathered outside a business near East Franklin and Chicago Avenues on Aug. 20, 2023.
According to the criminal complaint, surveillance video captured a grey Toyota Avalon arriving at the scene shortly before 6 p.m. Two males exited the vehicle, one armed with a handgun and the other with a fully automatic rifle. Within seconds, they fired at least 42 rounds into the crowd, with the city’s ShotSpotter system detecting that 28 of those rounds were fired in just 1.5 seconds. Investigators recovered seven 9mm casings and 35 .223-caliber casings from the scene.
YouTube: Gunfire was captured on a dash camera
Authorities identified one of the alleged gunmen as Demario Lee Dempsey, who was 17 at the time but has since been ordered to stand trial as an adult. Investigators linked him to the crime through surveillance footage, forensic evidence and data from his phone. The complaint states that detectives found photos and videos on his device showing him with co-defendant Jaden Trejaun Butcher and firearms consistent with those used in the shooting. Messages between the two on the day of the attack reportedly show Dempsey sending an address that was later connected to the suspects' movements.
Further evidence from Dempsey’s phone included music videos referencing gang activity and the shooting itself. In one recording, he allegedly filmed himself driving past the crime scene after the attack, describing the area as "a fishbowl" that was now "dry as hell" and "a ghost town."
Dempsey was arrested in November 2024 on an unrelated weapons charge, leading investigators to review his phone and uncover more evidence connecting him to the shooting. During an interview with detectives, he allegedly acknowledged that the Toyota Avalon used in the attack belonged to Butcher’s grandmother.
Dempsey now faces nine felony counts of attempted first-degree premeditated murder. A judge has ordered bail to be set at $1 million, citing extreme danger to the public.
Butcher has also been charged with nine felony counts of attempted first-degree premeditated murder. He has been held in custody on $1 million bail and is undergoing a competency hearing to determine whether he can stand trial.
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