Man gets 47-year term for shooting in Lakeville that killed woman, boy she gave birth to hours later

A St. Louis Park man received a prison term of more than 47 years for a shooting outside an Amazon warehouse in Lakeville that killed a pregnant woman and, later, her infant, who was delivered hours after the mother's death.

Donte R. McCray, 33, was sentenced in Dakota County District Court after pleading guilty to two counts of second-degree murder in connection with the Jan. 8 shooting of 31-year-old Kyla O'Neal while she was sitting in a vehicle in the parking lot of the Amazon Fulfillment Center in the 9800 block of W. 217th Street. She died at HCMC that night.

Their son, Messiah Edward O'Neal, was born that same night by Cesarean section at HCMC.

"After [Messiah] had been on life support for several days with little to no brain activity, the difficult decision was made to disconnect life support," the amended criminal complaint read.

A news release from the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office listed Messiah's age at the time of death as "9 days, 3 hours, 27 minutes."

The cause of death, the examiner's office said, was not from being hit by gunfire but complications from his mother being shot.

A friend of O'Neal's, Destiny Hicks, said O'Neal worked as a hairstylist and was studying to be a nurse. O'Neal's survivors include children who were ages 10, 7 and 2 at the time.

With credit for time in jail since his arrest, McCray is expected to serve the first 29 ¹⁄₃ years in prison and the balance of his 47 ¹⁄₄-year term on supervised release.

"Mr. McCray will now be held accountable for the senseless murder of both Kyla and Messiah," Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena said in a statement released soon after sentencing. "I'd like to extend my sincere condolences to family, friends and loved ones of Kyla and Messiah."

According to the criminal complaint:

About 6:50 p.m., police spoke at the scene with McCray, who acknowledged he and O'Neal had been arguing about him having a child with another woman while O'Neal was pregnant. Also, McCray allegedly told O'Neal he would kill her if she ever had another man around the kids.

O'Neal picked up McCray at his mother's house earlier that day to take him to work. Upon arriving, McCray explained, he realized he had guns in bags with him and wanted to "clear" them of live ammunition, when one gun fired a round into O'Neal's neck.

Officers viewed exterior surveillance video and saw McCray exit O'Neal's vehicle in front of the building and get in the back. McCray then ran alongside the car as O'Neal drove away before entering a parking spot only to go in reverse and push McCray backward. O'Neal then pulled into the parking spot and hit a post.

McCray later admitted being angry about the car hitting him and raised the gun, pointed it at O'Neal and pulled the trigger.