A 19-year-old man soon will be sentenced to a nearly 40-year term for firing a dozen shots that killed a young man on a Minneapolis sidewalk almost a year ago.

Juan A. Vasquez Jr., of Minneapolis, agreed last week in Hennepin County District Court to plead guilty to second-degree murder in connection with the killing on March 25 of Alexander M. LaGarde, 19, in the 2400 block of Ogema Place, in the Little Earth of United Tribes community.

With credit for time in jail since his arrest, Vasquez will serve about 25 ½ years in prison and the balance of his 39-year term on supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for April 4.

Before the plea deal, Vasquez was facing trial on a first-degree murder count, which could have meant life in prison without parole if convicted.

In entering his plea Friday, Vasquez gave no reason for the shooting.

With the help of surveillance video, police saw that LaGarde, visiting from Chanhassen, was with others on the sidewalk outside a residence shortly after midnight, when Vasquez and another male walked toward them.

Alexander M. LaGarde

Vasquez took a gun from his waistband and shot LaGarde numerous times.

A 14-year-old boy standing next to LaGarde was hit by shrapnel and suffered minor injuries.

In June, a Hennepin County grand jury indicted Vasquez and the man with him, Dakota LaFave, on seven counts of murder, assault and illegal possession of a gun.

LaFave, 29, of Fond du Lac, Minn., is set for trial April 14. He also was indicted in August by a federal grand jury on several counts including attempted murder in aid of racketeering in a case from 2017.