Man convicted in north Minneapolis shooting death

A 21-year-old man was convicted of second-degree intentional murder Friday for a shooting inside a north Minneapolis home this winter.

Dashaunta Gomez, of Minneapolis, shot and killed 32-year-old Johnathon J. Harris on Feb. 20 at a house on the 2900 block of Hillside Avenue N. after an altercation involving two other men.

According to the criminal complaint against Gomez:

In the hours before the killing, Gomez's stepfather, Demetrias A. Cooper, Harris and another man went to a bar. Cooper and the unidentified man eventually left, then began to argue about leaving Harris behind. The argument escalated into a physical fight.

Cooper drove to the house on Hillside and dropped off the unidentified man, then returned with Gomez about half an hour later and resumed the argument.

At that point, Harris had found his way back from the bar. Cooper had threatened Harris two months earlier, saying he would have Gomez shoot him.

Suspecting that Gomez was armed, Harris began to pat him down. Gomez pulled a gun and fired twice, hitting Harris' chest and killing him.

A Hennepin County jury convicted Gomez in about two hours, also finding him guilty of possessing a firearm while being prohibited to do so, according to the release.

Because a 16-year-old boy witnessed the shooting, which the jury found to be an aggravating circumstance, prosecutors will be able to ask for a sentence longer than the recommended 27 years, the release said. The sentencing is set for Oct. 24.

Gomez was previously convicted of first-degree riot in connection with the May 2011 shooting death of 18-year-old Keontrell Govan.

In Harris' death, Cooper was indicted by a grand jury for aiding and abetting both first-degree and second-degree murder, according to the release. His trial is set for Dec. 1.