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Nudieland shooting: Second teen charged
A second teenager has been charged for their part in a shooting that occurred at a DIY music venue in Minneapolis last summer. FOX 9’s Paul Blume spoke with Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara on the latest developments.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - One of the two teen gunmen charged with murder in the Nudieland concert venue mass shooting could avoid a prison sentence under a plea deal.
What to know
The Hennepin County Attorney's Office announced on Tuesday it had reached a plea deal for one of the suspects in the mass shooting in August 2023.
Cyrell Boyd, who was originally charged with aiding and abetting murder and assault, could avoid a prison sentence.
The deal requires him to serve time at the Red Wing juvenile facility until he turns 21. He will then serve five years on probation. If he fails to abide by the terms of the plea deal, he faces a seven to nine year prison sentence.
In a news release, the Hennepin County Attorney's Office refers to Boyd as a "lesser-involved" codefendant. Prosecutors say the other defendant, Burris, was the primary culprit, who fired his gun multiple times into the crowd.
Prosecutors also say Boyd has cooperated with them, allowing the attorney's office to build "an ironclad case" against Burris.
Background
The mass shooting happened in August 2023 at Nudieland, an LGBTQ+ friendly house venue on 16th Avenue South near East 22nd Street in the Ventura Village neighborhood. At the time, there were between 30 and 50 people attending the show.
The shooting left seven people hurt, including 35-year-old Nicholas "August" Golden, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said, before the shooting, witnesses reported two "hostile" people causing trouble with concertgoers. The charges against Boyd stated he used "derogatory epithets prior to the shooting" which officers said suggested "the incident was motivated by the victims’ gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression."
Investigators were told the pair made incentive remarks towards two witnesses after learning they were lesbians.
The pair left, but witnesses said they saw the two walking along through a neighboring yard shortly before opening fire.
Investigators were able to pull a DNA sample from a cigarette left at the scene that matched Boyd's DNA profile.
Charges filed
Three people ultimately were charged in the shooting:
- Cyrell Boyd and Dominic James Burris, both 18, the alleged gunman were charged with murder.
- Elias Trinidad Thompson, 21, is charged with aiding an offender during the shooting.
Boyd and Burns were both initially charged as juveniles in the case.
What are they saying?
In a provided statement, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty wrote:
"The plea deal that we have agreed to with Mr. Boyd is critical to us pursuing an intentional murder case against Dominic Burris, who was the instigator and main perpetrator of the terrible events that occurred at Nudieland. According to our investigation, Mr. Burris repeatedly and intentionally fired his gun into the gathering. Mr. Boyd provided critical evidence that allowed us to develop an ironclad case against Mr. Burris. This led us to change our plea offer for Mr. Burris which includes an increased period of incarceration and will require him to admit to intentional 2nd degree murder, reflecting his primary role in this horrific incident."