Minneapolis man sentenced to 30 years in prison for fatal December shooting

A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to prison for a fatal shooting last year.

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office announced that 22-year-old James Moore was sentenced to 30 years in prison for fatally shooting 21-year-old Malik Smith, of Brooklyn Center, in a robbery gone wrong in December. Moore previously pleaded guilty last month.

A criminal complaint states Minneapolis police officers responded to a reported shooting in the 1700 block of Russell Avenue North on Dec. 19, 2019. There, they were directed to an SUV that crashed into a tree in front of a home near where the shots were reported.

Police found Smith behind the wheel of the SUV suffering from two gunshot wounds to his back. He died a short time later.

2 arrested, charged in fatal Minneapolis shooting

A witness told police that Moore and 21-year-old co-defendant Tyreik Perkins, of Roseville, had walked up to the SUV before Moore shot into the vehicle. They then ran into an apartment building where Moore’s girlfriend lived.

Police obtained a search warrant for the apartment and arrested Moore and Perkins. They also found two handguns and a gun magazine with live rounds.

According to the complaint, a second witness contacted police a few days later, saying Moore’s girlfriend, 20-year-old Destiny Bradshaw, claimed to have lured Smith by creating a fake Facebook message searching for marijuana. Moore and Perkins were then going to rob him. Bradshaw was then arrested.

Moore, Perkins and Bradshaw were all indicted by a grand jury in July for first-degree murder while committing aggravated robbery and second-degree murder.

Bradshaw’s next court appearance is set for Jan. 15. Perkins pleaded not guilty and has not yet had a trial date set.