A 49-year-old man has pleaded guilty to a road rage shooting on a Minneapolis interstate ramp that left the other driver dead.
Man admits to road rage shooting on Minneapolis interstate that left another man dead
Victim was shot after landing a punch, according to the charges.
April 20, 2023 at 8:42PM
George Howard of Minneapolis pleaded guilty Tuesday in Hennepin County District Court to unintentional second-degree murder and illegal gun possession in the shooting of 38-year-old Luis D. Martinez Ortiz of Minneapolis on Aug. 29, 2021, at Interstate 94 and N. Dowling Avenue.
The plea agreement between the prosecution and defense calls for Howard to receive a sentence of slightly more than 14½ years. Under the deal, with credit for time in jail since his arrest, Howard would be expected to serve the first eight years in prison and the balance on supervised release. He remains jailed ahead of a May 2 sentencing date.
Howard's criminal history in Minnesota includes three convictions for disorderly conduct, and one each for assault and for illegal weapons possession.
Martinez Ortiz was shot in the chest and declared dead at North Memorial Health Hospital soon after being shot, according to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office.
After being shot, Martinez Ortiz drove down the ramp, onto I-94 and off the road, hitting meter lights before his car came to a rest along the center median, police said.
The charges did not reveal any details about what led to the drivers' angry encounter.
According to the criminal complaint:
A woman with Howard in the car said that he and Martinez Ortiz "got into a road rage incident prior to entering Interstate 94." Martinez Ortiz walked up to Howard's car and punched him. Howard then shot Martinez Ortiz.
Surveillance video showed the encounter on the ramp, and video captured Martinez Ortiz collapsing on the ramp next to Howard's car before he got back into his vehicle and crashed on I-94.
Additional surveillance video captured Howard driving to a nearby gas station, where he left on foot. The woman got behind the wheel and drove off.
Howard admitted to investigators his role in the incident but initially denied shooting Martinez Ortiz.
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