Man convicted of murder in Minneapolis gas station shooting sentenced to 23 years

A man convicted of second-degree murder in a fatal 2018 shooting in Minneapolis has been sentenced to more than 23 years in prison.

Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced Friday that Rodney Jackson, 28, was sentenced to 280 months in prison. He was convicted of second-degree murder on Nov. 1 for fatally shooting 18-year-old Mohamed Abdi. Prosecutors were seeking a 30-year sentence.


Related stories:

Jury finds man guilty of murder in Bloomington teen's death

Couple indicted in 2018 gas station murder


According to a criminal complaint, on Nov. 6, 2018, Jackson and his girlfriend, Derionna Leake, pulled into a gas station in the 2400 block of Bloomington Avenue South. When he got out of the convenience store, his SUV was trapped between two other vehicles.

The complaint stated that Jackson and Leake started shouting at Abdi, whose car was parked in front of Jackson's. Leake threw a jar in Abdi's direction during the altercation.

When the car behind Jackson's SUV moved, Jackson drove away and parked across the street. Leake continued throwing items at Abdi from across the street, and Abdi responded by throwing stones back at them. Jackson then held his gun out the window and fired a shot that hit Abdi in the back of the head, killing him.