Feds Announce Charges After Felon Kills 5 in High-Speed Crash
Derrick Thompson, 27
A suspect in the deaths of five women after a high-speed crash in Minneapolis is now facing federal charges.
The drugs, gun, ammo and extended mag police recovered in Thompson’s rented Escalade
Derrick John Thompson, 27, has been charged federally with possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime after a crash that killed five young women Friday night near I-35W & Lake St.
Newly filed court documents shed additional light on the moments leading up to the fatal crash. The federal filings say that a Minnesota Trooper observed a black Cadillac Escalade SUV traveling 95 MPH in a 55 MPH zone on I-35W.
The Trooper began following the vehicle but did not attempt to make a traffic stop because the Trooper did not want to cause the driver to continue to drive in a reckless manner on city streets.
The Trooper observed the suspect abruptly cut across four lanes of freeway traffic to exit. After exiting, he sped through a red light and struck a Honda Civic at extreme speeds, killing all five occupants inside.
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After the crash, Thompson fled on foot before being found by responding officers. Inside his rented Escalade, officers found a loaded Glock model 27 .40-caliber pistol with an extended magazine, powder fentanyl and a total of 2,169 suspected fentanyl pills.
Also found inside the vehicle were 13 pills that field-tested positive for MDMA, a plastic bag that had 35 grams of suspected cocaine, a digital scale with white powdery residue on it and a baggie of suspected marijuana.
VIDEO: Traffic cam captures suspect’s high-speed exit
Because Thompson has multiple prior felony convictions, he faces a minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm while engaged in drug trafficking activity.
Separately, Thompson faces five counts of criminal vehicular homicide (leaving the scene) and five counts of criminal vehicular homicide (operating with gross negligence) in Hennepin County Court. Those charges each carry a maximum 10-year sentence. Bond is currently set for $1 million.
According to the federal complaint, a witness to the crash told officers they saw Thompson running from the scene with a limp and a cut on his forehead. The witness provided a clothing description that matched a male who was spotted outside the Taco Bell on Lake Street. Thompson was sitting on the curb outside, wearing the same clothing and with a visible bleeding cut on the forehead. When asked about his injuries, Thompson told officers that they were from a previous incident.
After being detained and placed in the back of a squad car, Thompson allegedly asked an officer how long the process would take, saying that it was Friday and he “had things to do,” the complaint said. A search warrant was also obtained for a blood sample to see if Thompson was under the influence of drugs during the crash. The results of those tests are not yet publicly available.
The five victims
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner identified the five victims killed in the crash as:
Siham Adan Odhowa, 19, of Minneapolis
Sahra Liban Gesaade, 20, of Brooklyn Center
Sabiriin Mohamoud Ali, 17, of Bloomington
Sagal Burhaan Hersi, 19, of Minneapolis
Salma Mohamed Abdikadir, 20, of Saint Louis Park
Written statement from Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center, where the women were members:
“We find ourselves in deep sorrow today, for our community experienced a heartbreaking tragedy last night. We have lost five of our bright, young sisters in a severe car accident. May Allah grant mercy upon the departed and open the doors of Jannah for them.
We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return.
These young Muslim sisters, were shining stars of hope for our future. Unfortunately, their lives were cut short last night by a driver evading the police.”
The five victims were laid to rest at a Burnsville cemetery on Monday afternoon.
Thompson, who court documents list as living in Brooklyn Park, previously pleaded guilty to fleeing police and causing a crash in Montecito, Calif. in September 2018. In that incident, Thompson—who was 22 at the time—was fleeing from police and struck a pedestrian before bailing on foot. More than 17 pounds of marijuana and $20,000 in cash were found in the trunk of the vehicle, which crashed into a wall on the side of the roadway. Thompson is the son of former DFL State Rep. John Thompson.
Thompson’s current driving record includes numerous charges and convictions for driving after suspension and driving after revocation, the court documents said. His Minnesota driver’s license was revoked in 2018 after he was convicted for fleeing police in a motor vehicle and his license had just been reinstated in March 2023.
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PREVIOUSLY: Driver Kills 5 and Flees in South Minneapolis
Photo from the scene of the crash Friday, June 16. Submitted by Ashley Boldin @TechniGal_Ash
