Fleeing murder suspect reached 94 mph before killing 6-year-old in Brooklyn Center crash

A murder suspect fleeing police topped more than 90 miles per hour before he crashed his SUV at a Brooklyn Center intersection and killed a 6-year-old girl in the other vehicle, charges filed Tuesday read.

Hakeem W. Muhammad, 28, of Minneapolis, was charged in Hennepin County District Court with criminal vehicular homicide, criminal vehicular operation and fleeing police in a vehicle in connection with the collision Friday at N. 53rd and Humboldt avenues that also seriously injured a 15-year-old girl in the other vehicle.

Muhammad remains jailed in lieu of $500,000 bail ahead of court hearings later this week. Court records do not list an attorney for him.

There were five people in the vehicle that Muhammad's SUV hit. The Sheriff's Office identified the girl who died as Blessings U McLaurin Grey. Another passenger, Lanayshona Bell-King, 15, suffered a serious brain injury, internal bleeding and a bruised liver, according to Tuesday's charges.

Seen at a hospital and released were driver April A. McHerron, 32, of Minneapolis; Marrayah Billberry, 9; and Naledege D. Billberry, 5, the Sheriff's Office said.

According to Tuesday's charges:

Police located Muhammad, who had a warrant out for his arrest, about 4:20 p.m. in a gas station parking lot on N. 57th Avenue just east of Hwy. 100. Two uniformed officers, guns drawn, approached Muhammad's SUV and demanded that he show his hands. Instead, Muhammad sped away.

The officers returned to their squad, activated their lights and siren, and were joined by several squads in pursuit on eastbound 57th.

Early on in the pursuit, Muhammad topped 60 miles per hour, ran a red light and blew through two stop signs until turning south onto N. Lyndale Avenue. He then turned onto westbound N. 53rd Avenue at speeds of nearly 80 mph and crossed the median onto the wrong side of the road as vehicles steered clear of a head-on crash.

By the time he neared Humboldt Avenue, Muhammad was traveling 94 mph. McHerron, on northbound Humboldt, entered the intersection in her Ford Edge with the right of way.

"Without stopping at the posted stop sign, [Muhammad] crashed into the Ford Edge, causing it to flip over," the charges read.

Officers got the 6-year-old girl out from the backseat through a window. Emergency responders took her to North Memorial Health Hospital, where she was declared dead.

On July 11, Muhammad was charged with second-degree murder and illegal weapons possession in the fatal shooting of Devan Dampier on April 7 in north Minneapolis.

Muhammad was due in court Monday afternoon, but the hearing was moved to Tuesday afternoon because he had been hospitalized with injuries suffered in the crash.

Police found Dampier, of Minneapolis, on the ground in the 1100 block of N. 21st Avenue, about a block north of West Broadway.

"Damn, bro, you shot me," the criminal complaint quotes Dampier saying. He soon died at North Memorial.

Muhammad was upset with Dampier for accusing him of being a snitch, according to the charges.

Muhammad's criminal history in Minnesota includes two convictions for first-degree robbery.