As his alleged killer appears in court, family of ‘Fatboy’ laments scourge of drugs in Minneapolis

Nearly two dozen family members and friends of a man shot to death without provocation on Lake Street last week jammed the Hennepin County Public Safety Facility on Wednesday afternoon as his alleged killer made a first court appearance.

Police allege that Angel Jesus Zavala Gallegos shot D’Shawn JC Porter in the head during an attempted midday drug deal two blocks from the Midtown Global Market on Lake Street in Minneapolis last week. Porter’s family said he is the latest victim of a drug epidemic that played a role in his death.

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office brought second-degree murder charges against Gallegos on Tuesday after police used witness statements, surveillance video and fingerprint analysis to place him at the scene.

Judge Daniel Moreno set bail at $1 million. Gallegos, 21, of Minneapolis, said he was caught off guard by the timing of the first court appearance and didn’t have his attorney Cean Shads there to represent him. Calls to Shads went to a voicemail that was full and could not accept messages.

Porter, a 26-year-old from Inver Grove Heights, was lovingly known as “Fatboy” and was one of five children. Damon Walker, his oldest brother, said Porter was struggling with drug use but he was loved and supported, whether it was giving him money or a ride or a place to stay. He said his brother was never kicked out of his house or stole from his family, but might have been embarrassed over his struggles with addiction.

“That fentanyl is taking over the world,” Walker said.

He added that lax policing, treatment options and court punishment of drug use in Minneapolis played a role in his brother’s death. He said driving around parts of Minneapolis these days reminds him of watching the HBO series “The Wire.”

“We need more places for these people to go, we need to stop slapping them on the wrist,” Walker said. “They come [into court] on drugs, addicted. They tell them you do a Rule 25 and they’re letting them back out and all they’re doing is running right back to that same area.”

A Rule 25 is a chemical health evaluation, often ordered by the court after someone is charged with a crime in Hennepin County.

After the shooting, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the area was known for having chronic drug problems.

On Wednesday afternoon, a memorial for Porter with candles and flowers was set up outside the St. Vincent de Paul thrift store. An employee, who asked to remain anonymous while discussing the shooting, said open drug dealing and drug use in Minneapolis isn’t just a problem around Lake Street, but is visible throughout the city.

“Lack of resources, lack of rehab, if that’s what they want, or housing, a lot of these things are the biggest issues,” they said.

The roads near the store were under heavy construction on Wednesday with two Minneapolis Police Department patrol cars parked nearby.

“He was a wonderful kid,” Walker said about his brother. “He was a loving person. He looked out for everybody. He was the life of the party. A great smile. Good spirit.”

According to court documents:

Porter was attempting to buy cocaine from Gallegos in the 2900 block of 12th Avenue S. on Aug. 15. A witness who was with Porter said they were directed to a parking lot behind the thrift store to make the deal.

When Gallegos pulled out a piece of crack cocaine, Porter said, “C’mon man, you know me.” The witness said Porter was implying he wanted more cocaine than Gallegos was offering.

Gallegos reached into his pocket as if to get more and instead pulled out a gun and shot Porter in the head.

When police arrived they found Porter in a pool of blood. The witness described the shooter as a male wearing black pants, a black hoodie and a black COVID-19-type mask. Surveillance footage captured the moments after the shot was fired. It showed Porter, the witness and another man matching the suspect description walking to the back parking lot. Moments later people flee from the scene after the shooting. ShotSpotter information indicated a single shot was fired.

Surveillance video showed the suspected shooter touching two specific areas, from which police grabbed partial fingerprint impressions and matched them to Gallegos. Investigators used additional surveillance video to track the suspect from the scene to a Metro Transit bus and eventually a home in the 3800 block of 5th Avenue S. in Minneapolis.

When police arrived at the home, Gallegos was pacing while talking on the phone in his garage, still wearing the mask. Police said they overheard Gallegos mention the word “shooting.” Police arrested Gallegos after he fled the home and resisted arrest.

Gallegos gave police conflicting accounts of what happened. He said he knew Porter was looking to buy drugs. Initially, Gallegos said two black males hopped out of a white sedan and shot Porter while Gallegos was handing him the cocaine.

When police informed Gallegos they had surveillance video and there was no white sedan in the parking lot, he admitted the car might not have been there. He then told police a “crackhead” had tried to rob him while he was selling drugs in the parking lot and “so I upped the blick” — meaning he shot them.

Gallegos also stated he had never met Porter before that day, but used his nickname while talking to police about the incident.

Days later, police returned to the scene and interviewed another witness who gave a description of the shooter that matched Gallegos.

Gallegos has no felony criminal convictions, but is awaiting trial on charges that he violated a domestic assault no-contact order.