Teen pleads guilty in fatal Minneapolis gas station shooting

An 18-year-old entered a guilty plea in relation to a deadly shooting that left a teenager dead last year in Minneapolis.

On Thursday, Jomoy Lee entered a guilty plea to intentional second-degree murder and felon in possession for fatally shooting a 17-year-old male at a gas station in mid-September 2020.

Lee waived certification on Oct. 28, 2020, on two cases and made his first court appearance as an adult on Oct. 30, 2020. He is scheduled for sentencing on Aug. 30 at 10:30 a.m. where he is expected to receive 25 years (300 months) in prison.

The second shooter involved in the incident, 18-year-old Kejuan Haywood of Minneapolis, was certified to stand trial as an adult on Thursday. He faces intentional second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder charges. Haywood is scheduled to make his first court appearance on Monday at 1:30 p.m.

According to the criminal complaints, on Sept. 14, 2020, the Minneapolis Police Department responded to reports of shots fired at a gas station located on Fremont Avenue North and Dowling Avenue North. Officers found that two victims, ages 17 and 19, had been shot. The 17-year-old was shot three times and the 19-year-old victim was shot on the right side of his torso. Both victims were taken to the hospital, where the 17-year-old died, the complaint states.

Traffic video captured Lee and Haywood arriving behind the gas station in a red sedan. They approached a group of people outside the gas station, and Lee shot his weapon first. Haywood then fired shots, while one victim was already on the ground. After the shooting, both suspects are seen in surveillance video fleeing the scene. Investigators were able to identify the car through a license plate reader and were able to track its movements using traffic cameras and other electronic evidence.

The complaint states that on Sept. 17, 2020, police were conducting electronic surveillance and followed Lee, who was a suspect in the shooting. Officers were following Lee, the sole driver, in a Chevrolet Impala near the area of Seventh Street and Lyndale Avenue North. Two marked police cars attempted to stop Lee at the intersection of Seventh Street and Lyndale Avenue North but he fled and started driving through the North Loop in downtown Minneapolis.

During the car chase, Lee began throwing items out of the window. The items included a cellphone and a gun, which were both recovered by police. Testing showed the gun was used in the murder days prior. When interviewed by investigators, Lee identified Haywood as one of the shooters, while also admitting he was involved.