Murder Charges Filed Against 2 Suspects in Shooting Outside Richfield School
Formal charges have been filed against two suspects accused in the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old student earlier this week outside a Richfield school.
Alfredo Rosario Solis, 19, and Fernando Valdez-Alvarez, 18, were arrested by police later the same day and are now each charged with 2nd-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder in the shooting that killed Jahmari Rice, left one victim critically injured and another victim with minor injuries.
Richfield police were dispatched at 12:07 p.m. to South Education Center, 7450 Penn Ave. S., where they found the injured students on a sidewalk near the front entrance of the school.
Officers immediately began CPR with help from the school nurse and provided Rice with oxygen at the scene, according to court documents. Paramedics responded to the scene shortly after and rushed Rice to Hennepin County Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Officers also found the second juvenile male victim, lying on the floor in the front vestibule of the building being held by a staff member. He was shot in the left chest, with an exit wound on his lower left back. That victim was rushed into surgery at HCMC and is currently in critical condition, according to the documents filed Friday.
The third gunshot victim told investigators that he was with the other two victims in the parking lot when a confrontation started between the three juveniles and the suspects, Solis and Valdez-Alvarez. One of the victims punched Solis, then said Valdez-Alvarez pulled out a gun and started shooting.
The three juvenile victims ran back toward the building, while Solis and Valdez-Alvarez fled to a vehicle in the parking lot, what one witness described as a gold Chevrolet SUV, similar to a Tahoe.
PREVIOUSLY: Student Killed, Another Critical After Shooting Outside Richfield School
As another witness was walking to the school, she reported hearing three shots, then about 10-20 seconds later a vehicle pull off and two more gunshots fired.
Another witness told investigators they saw four students run up to the two suspects “like they were getting ready to fight,” according to the criminal complaint. One of the suspects reportedly pulled a gun out of his pocket and started firing. That suspect then got into the passenger seat of the vehicle, rolled the window down and continued shooting at the victims.
That witness reported that Rice had turned to run away from the vehicle, was shot and dropped to the ground. The gun the suspects had was described as a black handgun, similar to a Glock, with an extended magazine.
A review of surveillance video from the school shows all five male students exit the building and cross the parking lot. In the video, Solis can be seen wearing a black Polo hooded sweatshirt, dark pants and black tennis shoes. Valdez-Alvarez can be seen wearing a grey coat, grey sweatshirt, dark pants and black shoes.
Minutes after the shooting, Solis is seen exiting a tan SUV outside of his apartment complex, wearing the same black Polo sweatshirt with large red letters across the front and carrying a small bag with a strap, the documents said.
Officers obtained a search warrant for Solis’ residence later that day and found the following items, according to court documents:
A 9 mm Glock 45 handgun from the northeast bedroom
A Nintendo Switch case with two magazines for a 9 mm handgun and a mailing in the name of Solis inside from a drawer in the northwest corner bedroom
Back straps for a Glock handgun from a drawer in the northwest corner bedroom
9 mm ammunition inside a rubber glove from a drawer in the northwest corner bedroom
9 mm ammunition in a drawer in the northwest corner bedroom
One spent 9 mm casing from the northeast bedroom
A Polo sweatshirt matching the clothing worn by one of the suspects from the north bedroom
During the execution of a search warrant at Valdez-Alvarez’s residence, officers located a gold 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe parked in the rear, which matched the description witnesses provided of the vehicle involved in the Richfield shooting. It was registered to Valdez-Alvarez’s step-father and witnesses said Valdez-Alvarez was known to drive the vehicle.
Five 9mm discharged cartridge casings were recovered from the area where Valdez-Alvarez’s SUV had been parked, with two located on one side and three found on the other side of the vehicle. Ballistics testing has not yet been completed on the evidence, the documents said.
Both Valdez-Alvarez and Solis were taken into custody during or after the search warrants and remain jailed as of Friday afternoon.