Suspect in Jimmy Lee Recreation Center shooting pleads guilty to assault

A man accused of shooting a teenage boy in the head outside a St. Paul recreation center in January has entered a guilty plea for first-degree assault.

Exavir Dwayne Binford Jr., 27, was also initially charged with attempted second-degree murder, but court records show this charge was dismissed.

Court documents also state that prosecutors are seeking a sentence of over 10 years (125 months) — longer than the sentencing guideline of over seven years (86 months).

Binford is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 9.

As previously reported, the shooting on Jan. 18 left a 16-year-old in critical condition.

Binford, a city employee at the rec center, and two teens had gotten into a fight, leading him to shoot one of the teens and run away, according to court documents.

After the shooting, Binford’s mother said he called her and said, “I did something bad. I think I killed someone.” He also later told his mother and officers that he had been having issues with the victim.