Man pleads guily to 2024 deadly shooting that killed 1

On Monday, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office (HCAO) said that Dameon Markese Collins entered a guilty plea in connection with a deadly shooting from 2024 that killed 55-year-old Carl Maurice Woodard.

Collins pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree intentional murder, and in doing so, a first-degree murder charge was dismissed. He also agreed to a sentence of 420 months (35 years). He’s scheduled to be sentenced on July 15.

“My thoughts are with Carl’s family after today’s plea,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said. “Mr. Collins’s actions took Carl’s life, causing immeasurable harm to his loved ones, and frightening a community. While Carl should still be alive, this guilty plea and the sentencing to come will hold Mr. Collins accountable and prevent him from doing more harm to our community.”

The shooting happened on June 28, 2024, on Penn Avenue North in Minneapolis, a little before 11 p.m.

Police found a man in his 50s, later identified as Woodard, in a vehicle with a life-threatening gunshot wound.

The criminal complaint says that the vehicle had at least 13 bullet holes, and Woodward was in the driver’s seat, unresponsive and not breathing, and despite being given CPR, he died at the scene.

Video from the area and License Plate Reader information help investigators determine the suspect. Video showed him walking in the area where the victim’s vehicle was parked, and several muzzle flashes and the sound of gunshots were heard on the video, and then Collins running away.

The court document says that Collins did not have a permit to carry a firearm at the time of the shooting.