Man pleads guilty to fatal shooting near George Floyd Square

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A man pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter for fatally shooting a man in front of Cup Foods in Minneapolis back in March, the Hennepin County Attorney's Office announced Monday.

The attorney's office reports that 31-year-old Stantaello Christianson pleaded guilty to the shooting that killed 30-year-old Imez Wright on March 6. Christianson also pleaded guilty to felon in possession. He will receive 120 months for the first-degree manslaughter count and 60 months for being a felon in possession.

According to the criminal complaint, on March 6, Imez Wright was standing in front of Cup Foods at George Floyd Square, located at 38th Street and Chicago Avenue South. Christianson drove up in a tan SUV with his wife and his wife's cousin, who got out of the car and began arguing with Wright. Christianson and Wright are both members of the Rolling 30’s Bloods gang but were on opposite sides of an internal gang dispute, the complaint states. 

A short time later, Christianson stepped out of the vehicle and shot Wright multiple times before driving off. Several other people fired at the SUV as the trio fled.

Surveillance video confirmed witness accounts, and Christianson's SUV was later located in the parking lot of a Brooklyn Center hotel.

According to the complaint, authorities observed Christianson and his wife walking out of the hotel and Christianson was carrying a duffle bag. Inside the bag was a 9 mm Glock handgun, and inside the SUV was a semi-automatic rifle. Christianson admitted the guns were his.

In 2007, Christianson was convicted of aggravated robbery, and in 2009 he was convicted of fifth-degree drug possession. In 2013, he was convicted of second-degree riot, all crimes which made it illegal for him to posses guns or ammunition, the complaint states.

Christianson will be sentenced on Nov. 5.