MINNEAPOLIS — A teenager admitted in court Friday that he shot and killed Zaria McKeever at a Brooklyn Park apartment complex in November 2022, as a part of his plea agreement with the Minnesota Attorney General's Office.
Foday Kevin Kamara, who was 15 at the time of the shooting, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder aiding and abetting in exchange for testifying against others involved in the crime.
With about a dozen of McKeever's relatives present in the courtroom, Kamara told the judge that "I shot a lady in her apartment" and that he knew his actions would result in her death. Similar to what he told investigators, Kamara said McKeever's ex-boyfriend, Erick Haynes, supplied him with the gun and that he and his brother were looking for McKeever's new boyfriend. Kamara said he fired four warning shots through a wall and then said when McKeever "charged" him, he fired the fatal shots.
Haynes and two other adult accomplices will go on trial next month. With Kamara's cooperation in that case, the state will seek a downward departure of roughly 10 years in prison. McKeever's family did not comment after the guilty plea because of the ongoing criminal case involving other defendants.
"Zaria McKeever was a loving mother, wonderful daughter, awesome sister, and loyal friend. Her murder continues to be both shocking and heartbreaking for her family and all who loved her. My office is dedicated to holding accountable all those responsible for it," Attorney General Keith Ellison said. "One of the young defendants has now taken responsibility for his role in Zaria's murder, and he is being held accountable."
Originally, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty's Office presided over the case and sought a two-year juvenile prison sentence for Kamara with supervision until the age of 21. After McKeever's family expressed outrage at that plea deal, Gov. Walz took the case from Moriarty and transferred it to Ellison's office.
Following the guilty plea, Moriarty issued a statement standing by her original handling of the case. With the way sentencing works, her office also claims that Kamara will be eligible for release from prison in about six years.
"Our goal in the prosecution of those responsible for Zaria McKeever's murder was to aggressively seek a conviction and lengthy prison sentence for the adult who orchestrated this horrific crime of domestic violence. At the same time, we sought to hold the two teenagers involved accountable in a way that protected the public and accounted for their age, trauma history, and role in the offense," Moriarty said. "Unfortunately, today's plea deal fails to allow Mr. Kamara to complete the treatment that experts said he needed, while allowing him to be released from prison when he is just 23 years old."
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