Minneapolis man charged with murder in February drug deal shooting that killed two, injured third

A 24-year-old Minneapolis man was charged with murder and attempted murder Monday in connection with a February drug deal in the Lowry Hill East neighborhood that turned deadly.

Immir Fyontane Rice is accused of wounding one woman and killing two men Feb. 15 outside an apartment complex on Colfax Avenue S., according to charges filed in Hennepin County District Court. He's charged with two counts of second-degree murder, one count of attempted second-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office identified the dead as Davante Lavar-King Reid, 29, of Minneapolis and Khalil Amer Bryant, 23, of Robbinsdale.

Records show that Rice has been in custody since Feb. 22 for an unrelated gun charge. He was convicted of first-degree aggravated robbery in 2018 and served a three-year term that prohibited him from having firearms or ammunition. But he violated that and was convicted in January 2022 of illegal gun possession, for which he was still on probation.

According to recent charges filed against Rice:

A 911 caller reported automatic gunfire at the Miles Uptown Apartments at 11:36 p.m. The caller said there was a black SUV with its doors open in front of the building where a man and woman were running and screaming for help.

Police recovered 16 discharged casings from a single firearm outside the SUV, which was struck with multiple rounds. Bryant was found slumped in the passenger seat with a gunshot wound to the head.

Within minutes, police learned Reid collapsed in a hallway of Track 29 City Apartments one block away. He had a gunshot wound to the chest and died at the scene.

Based on video evidence and a blood trail, officers said Reid ran to Track 29 from the shooting at Miles Uptown, where Reid lived.

The woman told officers Bryant was her boyfriend and she was in the driver's seat when they were both shot. She was taken to the hospital with a gunshot wound to the chest.

She told police that she drove Bryant from a gas station to Miles Uptown for a drug deal. When they arrived, Bryant told Reid he was outside and shortly after gunfire erupted.

Officers learned that Reid had bought drugs from Bryant in the past and arranged another deal just moments before the shooting. They confirmed the SUV drove to the gas station where another vehicle, driven by Rice, parked next to them.

Rice drove to the apartment, circled around and parked one block away. He ran toward the apartment when the SUV arrived; automatic gunfire is captured on surveillance video.

Cameras also captured Rice running away from the shooting and driving to a residence on Garfield Avenue S. where he lived. Officers arrested him there, wearing the same clothes and possessing several 9mm handguns.

He denied being involved in any shootings, but phone records show he placed a call less than two minutes after the shooting. It pinged a cell tower directly east of the crime scene.

Investigators learned that Rice and Bryant had been associates but fell out after Rice was convicted of the aggravated robbery. Rice disparaged Bryant on social media about allegedly cooperating with the robbery investigation.