Alleged Minneapolis mass shooters charged after killing one at LGBTQ+ punk rock show
The teenage suspects in a Minneapolis mass shooting that left one person dead and six others injured are facing seven felony charges.
Dominic James Burris, who turned 18 last week, was only 17 on August 11 when he and 17-year-old Cyrell Ernest Boyd allegedly open fired into the backyard of a local house, Nudieland, during a DIY music show. They now face one felony charge of aiding and abetting second-degree intentional murder, as well as six counts of felony assault with a firearm, according to court filings obtained by the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
The documents conclude that the two's crimes were motivated by bias against the victims’ sexual orientation and gender identity. Witnesses reportedly overheard the suspects “utter derogatory epithets about the sexual orientation of the concert attendees.”
“Witnesses identified the gathering as a LGBTQ+ friendly community and the victims included people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer,” the court filings read. “Witnesses identified the shooters as two males who were not part of the community, but who had come to the concert and interacted with multiple people in the minutes before the shooting.”
One victim said at the time that the two attempted to hit on her and her friend, who are both lesbians, and became aggravated when they did not return their interest. The two began firing one minute later.
The one victim who was killed, musician August Golden, 35, died after a gunshot wound to the chest. He was a member of the punk band Scrounger, and was actively involved in the local community. Another victim, whose identity has not been revealed, suffered injuries to his intestine, liver and a kidney, which court documents state had to be removed.
Nudieland was formed two years ago as an extension of its sister venue, Disgraceland. In addition to being a venue, Nudieland is also home to many of its punk patrons, who reside in the house.
Minnesota does not have standalone hate crime charges, but rather charges with aggravating factors that can lead to stricter sentencing. It is unknown whether prosecutors will up the charges, or if Burris and Boyd will be tried as adults.
