Sentencing scheduled for 3rd suspect in fatal Columbia Heights shooting

The sentencing for the third and final suspect in a fatal 2020 shooting in Columbia Heights is scheduled for early this summer.

Twenty-three-year-old Cashmere Smith’s sentencing will be held on June 13 for his role in the shooting that killed 22-year-old Charles R. Mosby Jr.

Smith is charged with second-degree unintentional murder while committing a felony. He pleaded guilty to the charge on March 17.

According to the criminal complaint, at about 10:36 p.m. on Aug. 24, officers from the Columbia Heights Police Department and Anoka County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of a shooting that had taken place outside of a strip mall located on the 4600 block of Central Avenue.

Once on scene, officers located Mosby, who had been shot several times in the back. He was transported to North Memorial Hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival.

After viewing surveillance video from several businesses along the strip mall, officers witnessed several men loitering in the area of the Totem Superette. The complaint states one of the men, later identified as Smith, grabbed a handgun from a nearby vehicle and gave it to a man identified as Brandon Kron, who then gave it back to Smith a short time later.

Then, at about 10:15 p.m., video footage captured Mosby arriving at the location. According to the complaint, Mosby exchanged greetings with several people, including Smith and a man identified as Dominic Sampson. The complaint states the greetings appeared to be “quite amicable.” Ten minutes later, the footage shows Kron hand a gun to Sampson, who then put the gun into his pocket.

Despite no apparent conflict of any kind being visible on the footage, when Mosby turned to leave the area at 10:33 p.m., Sampson pulled the gun from his pocket and shot Mosby in the back several times at a very close range, according to police. The three suspects then ran to nearby cars to flee the area; Smith and Sampson went in a vehicle together that was driven by Smith, and Kron left in a vehicle by himself.

In the late evening hours the next day, Aug. 25, Kron was apprehended by police. He initially denied any knowledge of the incident, but after he was confronted with witness statements and surveillance video, he later admitted to knowing all suspects in the case. He told police they were all present at the time of the shooting and that guns were present. However, the complaint states Kron denied any knowledge of the shooting itself.

Sampson, who is now 21, was sentenced on Dec. 27 on a charge of second-degree intentional murder, not premeditated, after pleading guilty on Nov. 1.

He is serving 30 years at the St. Cloud prison, and must also pay more than $8,190 in restitution.

Kron, now 24, was initially charged with second-degree intentional murder, not premeditated, (aiding and abetting), as well as aiding an offender after the crime.

An amended complaint was filed last May and he entered a guilty plea on Sept. 27.

Records show Kron’s second-degree murder charge was dismissed and he was sentenced to more than three years (41 months) in the St. Cloud prison on Nov. 3. He also received credit for 435 days he had already served.