Robbinsdale Man Sentenced for 2023 Fridley Shooting
John Elliot Dickens IV, 21, was sentenced today in Anoka County to 90 months in prison for a May 2023 shooting that left a man with severe injuries.
Dickens was convicted of first-degree assault involving great bodily harm, while an attempted murder charge was dismissed as part of the proceedings.
The incident occurred on May 22, 2023, outside an apartment complex on Osborne Road NE in Fridley. According to the criminal complaint, the victim, who was engaged in a heated argument with Dickens’ sister near the building, was confronted and shot by Dickens. The victim, identified as the brother of the shooter’s niece, sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the arm and abdomen. He told officers that Dickens shot him after his sister warned that he "would be touched" as the conflict escalated.
Surveillance footage captured Dickens arriving in a white Ford Fusion and approaching the victim near the apartment entrance before opening fire. The shooter then fled in the same vehicle. The victim managed to reach a nearby hospital before being transferred for surgery due to the extent of his injuries.
Judge Michele A. Davis imposed the 90-month sentence, with credit for 516 days Dickens had already spent in custody. The sentence mandates that Dickens serve two-thirds of the term in prison, followed by a supervised release for the remaining third, in accordance with Minnesota sentencing guidelines.
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