MINNEAPOLIS — A 30-year-old Minneapolis man accused of shooting and killing a rival gang member in north Minneapolis last month is now charged with his murder, according to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office.
Donta Brown is charged with two counts of second-degree murder in the April 9 death of 34-year-old Quinntrail Young, of Minneapolis. If convicted, Brown faces up to 40 years for each offense.
In court documents filed with the county Friday, prosecutors allege officers responded to a home on the city's north side around 4:30 a.m. and found Young had been shot in the head. Despite attempts to save his life, Young died at a local hospital a short time later.
The criminal complaint said eyewitnesses told police there had been a party at the residence on the 1800 block of Russell Avenue North that night, in which "hundreds" of people attended. It goes on to say that Young allegedly walked in on a woman climbing out a bedroom window, attempting to steal money. Prosecutors say Young told the homeowner what he saw before leaving the home and trying to locate her in the area.
The complaint says Young's attempt to find the woman was unsuccessful, prompting him to circle back to the north side home. There, police say, as Young bent down to tie his shoe outside the house, Brown walked out, pulled a handgun and shot Young twice in the head and neck before fleeing with another party-goer.
Police say Brown's getaway driver later cooperated with the investigation, yielding the shoes he was wearing that officers suspected contained traces of Young's blood.
Through the course of their investigation, police say they determined Brown to be a member of the "Lows" territory gang, which associates itself with the areas of south Broadway Avenue. According to the charging document, Young was affiliated with Minneapolis' "Highs" territory — a direct rival.
According to prosecutors, Brown claimed he was not at the home on the night of the incident, but police later traced his cell phone data back to the scene at the time of the shooting.
At this time, Brown remains in custody at the Hennepin County Jail.
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