Man sentenced for double fatal shooting in Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A Hennepin County judge sentenced a 20-year-old man Friday morning for fatally shooting two people in Minneapolis after a suspected argument over a large quantity of missing narcotics.
Lavell Jacvon Piggie, 20, was sentenced to 612 months (51 years) in prison with credit for 508 days served after pleading guilty to two charges of second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of two men in February 2022.
According to court records, Minneapolis police responded to reported gunshots just before 3:45 p.m. on Feb. 10, 2022, and located a running vehicle stopped in a snowbank. Law enforcement located two men in the front seat, both of whom suffered four gunshot wounds each. They were determined to be dead at the scene.
Investigators used a combination of surveillance footage, witness accounts, and cell phone data to determine Piggie entered the vehicle with the two men and drove around for approximately 8 minutes before the surveillance video captured the sound of gunshots. A witness reportedly saw Piggie exit the vehicle and leave the scene after the shooting, according to charges.
Lavell Piggie was sentenced to 51 years in prison for fatally shooting two mean in Minneapolis. (FOX 9)
Authorities say the dispute was believed to be over missing narcotics. Officers executed a search warrant at Piggie’s home and seized a "significant amount" of crack cocaine, marijuana, fentanyl and other narcotics. Additionally, a bag filled with .40 caliber live round of ammunition was discovered, matching both the caliber and manufacture of the ammunition found in the vehicle's back seat.
A grand jury indicted Piggie in March with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree intentional murder. However, Piggie accepted a deal and pleaded guilty to two charges of second-degree intentional murder in Hennepin County court on May 25.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty released the following statement:
"Mr. Piggie admitted to a brazen double murder and he has now been held legally accountable. I’m hopeful today’s sentencing can help these families move forward.
"Gun violence remains far too common in our communities. Yet again, we see in this case how the prevalence of guns can turn disputes violent, even among those who were apparently friends. As a community, this violence must spur us to action. We will continue to work with law enforcement to aggressively prosecute violence and hold accountable those who are responsible.
"But arrest and prosecution will never be enough. We must address the issues that make violence a viable decision for far too many people. We must seek to prevent violence before another life is lost or another family is shattered."