A Richfield man has been given a term of more than 36 years for killing a man during a gun battle nearly three years ago outside a Minneapolis bar that also left six people wounded.
Desean J. Solomon, 32, was sentenced Monday in Hennepin County District Court after a jury convicted him of second-degree murder and related counts in connection with the shooting of Marcus Lashaun Banks Jr., 22, of Spring Lake Park, on June 14, 2020.
"This was a horrific, chaotic scene and I am grateful for a strong investigation that allowed us to hold Mr. Solomon accountable for this violence," Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in a statement. "Mr. Solomon has a lengthy criminal history, but the community will now be safe from him for a long time."
With credit for time in jail since his arrest, Solomon is expected to serve about 22 years of his term in prison and the balance on supervised release.
According to the charges:
The incident began at the Broadway Pub & Grille, 200 West Broadway, where a man was robbed inside by a Bloods gang member. Surveillance video showed the robbery victim entering the bar bathroom and then thrown out moments later with his shirt torn.
The man left the bar, and Solomon and two other men exit the bathroom soon afterward. Solomon started shooting once outside the bar.
Sometime after that, a running gun battle began, with most of the shots fired outside the 4th Street Saloon two blocks west of Broadway Pub & Grille.
