Minneapolis murder suspect claimed he used PCP, couldn't remember shooting: Charges

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Police investigate in Stevens Square after a deadly shooting on Sept. 3, 2024.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A man charged with murder for a deadly shooting this month in Minneapolis told police he was smoking PCP and couldn't remember why he did it, according to a criminal complaint.

What do we know?

William Howard Sanders, 38, was charged on Sept. 6 with second-degree murder for the deadly shooting on East 19th Street, between Nicollet and 1st avenues on Tuesday, Sept. 3.

Police said they responded that evening at around 7 p.m. to a report of shots fired in the area. At the scene, they found a 24-year-old man, later identified as De'Jaun Hall, who had been shot. He was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene.

Chief Brian O'Hara told the media that it appeared an altercation between a group of ten people led to shots being fired.

What's new?

The charges against Sanders detail what officers saw when they reviewed security video showing the shooting.

According to the charges, the video showed the victim had been involved in an argument with Sanders when Sanders ultimately pulled something out of a fanny pack strapped. Police say the video shows Sanders chasing down Hall, ultimately shooting him in the back. Then, as he was lying on the ground, police said Sanders walked up and fired two more shots before slowly walking away from the scene.

Sanders was arrested at a hotel two days after the shooting. In a vehicle police linked to Sanders, they found a fanny pack with a handgun inside.

What did he say?

Speaking with police, officers say Sanders admitted to the shooting, saying: "he was smoking PCP and that he did not remember what was going on [in] his own mind when he shot [Hall]." Later, police say Sanders claimed Hall had threatened him, and he acted in self-defense. He also said he was "suspicious" of Hall because Hall was wearing a hoodie on a nice day.