A Minneapolis man was sentenced Monday to a six-year term for shooting and wounding five people at the Little Earth housing complex in south Minneapolis last spring.
Rico King, 22, was sentenced in Hennepin County District Court after pleading guilty to two counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon in connection with the May 18 gunfire at the American Indian community. He was initially charged with five counts of second-degree assault and one count of second-degree riot.
With credit for time in jail since his arrest, King will serve roughly 3½ years in prison and the balance on supervised release.
According to the criminal complaint, police arrived at the housing complex and encountered a crowd of about 50 people in the 2400 block of Ogema Place. Six had been shot, five of them allegedly by King.
Witnesses and surveillance video indicated that the main shooters were King and a 14-year-old boy. Because of his age, information on the teen's case is not public.
King said little when he pleaded guilty and said nothing at his sentencing, leaving his motive a mystery. Those he shot ranged in age from 14 to 46.
Georgina Kellum, 36, of Crystal, has pleaded guilty to aiding an offender after the fact and is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday.
Police said she hid one of the guns used in the shooting and then lied to investigators.
