MINNEAPOLIS — A scheduled jury trial will not take place after a Minneapolis man changed his mind and entered a guilty plea in the shooting death of a 9-year-old girl, who was jumping on a trampoline when she was caught in the crossfire.
On the day his trial was to begin 20-year-old Dpree Shareef Robinson struck a deal to plead guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Trinity Ottoson-Smith. In exchange for his plea Robinson will be sentenced to 450 months (37 1/2 years), of which he will serve two-thirds.
Sentencing is set for March 21 at 9 a.m.
“Trinity was doing what kids should be doing in spring time in Minnesota, playing with friends and having fun outside,” said Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty in a statement following the plea deal. “Mr. Robinson’s actions shocked our community and devastated her family and all who loved her. I’m hopeful his admission of guilt begins to bring some degree of closure for Trinity’s family and the community.”
Prosecutors described Robinson as a Minneapolis man "with ties to an area gang" and say he was attempting a "drive-by shooting" when a stray bullet hit 9-year-old Trinity Ottoson-Smith on May 15, 2021. Trinity was playing with friends on a backyard trampoline in the Jordan neighborhood that day when she was struck in the head. The little girl died from her injuries 12 days later at North Memorial Hospital.
Security video from the scene showed someone in a red Ford Fusion firing shots at the intended targets, who were on a side porch of the house.
In the criminal complaint against Robinson prosecutors say he had engaged in threatening social media communications with a male resident at the house where Ottoson-Smith was shot. Search warrants also show Robinson exchanging social media messages with his girlfriend, in which she called him a "child killer" and said "I hope you die for killin that lil girl."
Trinity was one of three young children to be shot during that violent summer in Minneapolis. Aniya Allen was just 6 years old when she died after being shot while riding in the back of a car on the 3500 block of Penn Avenue North in the city's Folwell neighborhood.
Allen was the granddaughter of local peace activist Kay G. Wilson. Her killer has not been found.
Ladavionne Garrett Jr. was shot in April while riding home with his parents and spent months in the hospital recovering from his injuries. On Nov. 1, Garrett Jr. was released from the hospital, days after celebrating his 11th birthday.
"Trinity and Aniya should have never been murdered. Ladavionne, the course of his life should have never changed," said Trinity's stepmother Korrina Smith outside the Hennepin County Government Center during a protest to end gun violence.
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
- Add KARE 11+ on Roku here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Roku Channel Store.
- Add KARE 11+ on Fire TV here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Amazon App Store.
- Learn more about KARE 11+ here.
Watch more local news:
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities in our YouTube playlist: