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19-year-old pleads guilty to killing Jahmari Rice outside Richfield school

The Hennepin County Attorney's Office said Fernando Valdez-Alvarez admitted to fatally shooting Rice outside a Richfield school last February.

RICHFIELD, Minn. — Editor's note: The video above first aired on KARE 11 on Feb. 9, 2022.

One of the men accused of shooting and killing 15-year-old Jahmari Rice outside a Richfield school exactly one year ago has pleaded guilty to second-degree unintentional murder.

According to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office, 19-year-old Fernando Valdez-Alvarez admitted in court that he shot Rice and injured another 17-year-old victim.

A sentencing agreement calls for Valdez-Alvarez to receive 180 months in prison on the murder conviction and a consecutive 103 months for also pleading guilty to first-degree assault. He's scheduled to be formally sentenced on Feb. 23 at 1 p.m.

In December, 20-year-old Alfredo Rosario Solis, also charged in connection to Rice's death on Feb. 1, 2022, was found not guilty on five charges: Two second-degree murder charges, two second-degree attempted murder charges and one first-degree assault charge. He was found guilty of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon. 

Richfield Police said that an argument between five students led to the fatal shooting. According to a criminal complaint, another 19-year-old victim told police he had walked out of the South Education Center in Richfield behind Valdez-Alvarez and Solis with Rice and the other 17-year-old victim. There was a confrontation in the parking lot where the 17-year-old victim punched Solis once, and then Valdez-Alvarez began shooting at the three students, according to a criminal complaint.

Jahmari Rice was the son of local activist Cortez Rice. At a vigil for Jahmari after his death, Shyrese James called her son "a straight-A student, a star quarterback. 

"Jahmari tried to make wrong right, he never wanted to see anybody hurt, he always tried to help. I watched my son give the shoes off of his feet to this baby downtown," she said.

“School should be a safe sanctuary where kids can focus on learning, growing, and preparing for the future,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said a written statement. “Mr. Valdez-Alvarez took that away from Jahmari Rice. We hope this admission of guilt is a positive step in the healing process for Jahmari’s family. Our office will continue to aggressively prioritize prosecution of violent crime and seek to hold those who commit violence accountable for their actions.”

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