‘Without hesitation’: Man accused of fatally shooting cousin over bag of marijuana

A 28-year-old man is accused of killing his cousin in April in Minneapolis.

Curtis Edward Jackson was charged with second-degree murder in Hennepin County Court on Monday.

As previously reported, officers responded to the sound of gunfire on the 800 block of Russell Avenue North just after midnight on April 5. There, they learned that two men had been shot.

Marcus David Williams Jr., 28, had been brought to the hospital in a private vehicle and where he was pronounced deceased.

Jackson was also brought to the hospital with a gunshot wound. While being treated, court documents state he told police that he and Williams were cousins and that they had shot each other.

Officers found 13 discharged cartridge casings at the scene. Seven were from one gun and six were fired from another gun. A blood spatter was also found on the ground.

A witness said that he, another witness, Jackson and Williams all went downtown together. He drove and Jackson and Williams were in the backseat. Both witnesses said that Jackson and Williams started to fight, eventually leading to them stepping out of the car.

Williams then ended the physical altercation by getting back into the car which led to Jackson fireing a gunshot into the air. This was also shown on surveillance video, court documents state.

The witnesses and Williams drove off. Williams said that Jackson’s backpack was still in the car but that they needed to finish their fight before he would return the backpack.

When the group drove to the 800 block of Russell Avenue, Jackson was already there. The witness said Jackson walked up to the car and asked for his backpack, but Williams said he wouldn’t give the backpack back.

The witness said that Jackson then shot Williams without warning, according to court documents. The witness said that Williams wasn’t facing Jackson at the time of the shooting and that he wasn’t able to defend himself.

Investigators later searched the vehicle and found a bag that had marijuana in it, court documents state.

Surveillance video showed that Jackson and Williams were talking outside the car, with Jackson asking where the “weed” was. As Williams turned to face the car, his left side was facing Jackson.

Court documents state that Jackson pulled out a firearm and pointed it at his cousin “without hesitation.” The beam from a laser sight put a glowing dot on Williams’ shoulder and head, showing Jackson intended to shoot him in vital areas.

Surveillance video also showed that after Jackson started shooting, Williams fired back at him. Court documents state that Jackson lunged for cover behind the vehicle and shot at Williams until Williams fell to the ground.

When the gunfire stopped, witnesses saw that Williams was hurt and confronted Jackson, who ran away. They put him back in the vehicle and drove off.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner determined that Williams had been shot three times — twice in his left arm and once in his chest. The bullet in his chest hit multiple major organs and vertebrae and came to a stop in his right paraspinal soft tissue. According to court documents, the injuries are consistent with Williams being turned away from Jackson when he was shot.

Jackson later admitted to the fight and firing a warning shot into the air downtown. He also admitted that he went into his family’s home on Russell Avenue and said it was going to be a “problem” if he didn’t get the backpack back and said he made statements about killing Williams.

Jackson, however, claimed that Williams shot him first, but the criminal complaint states that his account was proven wrong by the surveillance video.

Jackson is not currently in custody. He was charged via warrant because he is “a danger to public safety, including [his] family members.”