Teen to be tried as an adult in Mall of America murder case

A Hennepin County judge ordered a teen defendant to be tried as an adult for his alleged role in a fatal shooting at Mall of America in December.

Lavon Semaj Longstreet was 17 at the time of the Dec. 23, 2022, shooting but has since turned 18. He’s charged with second-degree murder and second-degree assault in connection with the killing of 19-year-old Johntae Hudson at the mall’s Nordstrom store.

A criminal complaint alleges a group was arguing inside Nordstrom, and Longstreet and another suspect, Taeshawn Adams-Wright, brandished handguns with extended magazines.

Surveillance footage shows the group chasing Hudson before someone tackled the victim. Adams-Wright and Longstreet are then allegedly seen standing over Hudson at different points as muzzle flashes gleam.

An autopsy found that Hudson had suffered eight gunshot wounds and another three graze wounds. A second victim who was shopping near the scene of the shooting suffered minor injuries.

Longstreet is in custody at the Hennepin County Jail, although he had to be extradited to Minnesota following his arrest in Georgia. During Longstreet’s first court appearance on Wednesday, a judge set his bail at $1 million.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, who has recently faced scrutiny for her handling of a separate murder case involving juvenile suspects, released a statement Wednesday regarding the decision to charge Longstreet as an adult.

“Our goal is to protect community safety based on the unique circumstances of each case. Mr. Longstreet played a lead role in a brazen shooting that left one person dead and endangered the lives of many others at the Mall of America,” Moriarty wrote. “Given his age and role in the murder we will prosecute this case through the adult system.”

Adams-Wright, 18, is also charged with second-degree murder and second-degree assault. Two juveniles have been charged with second-degree riot for their alleged involvement in the attack.