One alleged ‘Nudieland’ shooter to testify against ‘major perpetrator’ of mass shooting in plea deal

Hennepin County prosecutors have secured a plea deal with one of the suspects in a mass shooting at a Minneapolis punk rock concert last year that killed one person and injured six others.

The plea deal requires Cyrell Boyd, 18, of Onamia, who authorities have called the “lesser involved” alleged shooter, to testify against Dominic James Burris, 18, of Hinckley, who prosecutors described Tuesday as the “major perpetrator” of the 2023 “Nudieland” shooting.

In a statement, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said Boyd has provided evidence allowing the prosecution to develop an “ironclad” case against Burris, who she said “repeatedly and intentionally fired his gun” into a crowd at a pop-up backyard concert in Minneapolis called “Nudieland.”

“The plea deal that we have agreed to with Mr. Boyd is critical to us pursuing an intentional murder case against Dominic Burris, who was the instigator and main perpetrator of the terrible events that occurred at Nudieland,” Moriarty said.

The shooting unfolded Aug. 11, 2023, at the DIY pop-punk concert, which was hosted in a backyard on the 2200 block of 16th Avenue S. Killed in the shooting was Nicholas August Golden, 35, a musician and songwriter who was involved in the punk scene in Minneapolis and across the country.

A fundraiser for Golden’s partner and other victims of the shooting raised more than $200,000.

According to the charges, Burris and Boyd left the party after making advances toward a woman, getting rebuffed, flashing guns and making derogatory remarks toward concertgoers. Gunshots erupted about a minute later from behind a fence in a neighboring yard.

Both Burris and Boyd were 17 at the time and were charged in juvenile court — however, Burris’ case was moved to adult court in October.

According to prosecutors, Boyd pleaded guilty to felony aiding an offender after the fact. He will be incarcerated at the state juvenile correctional facility in Red Wing.

When he turns 21, he will return to Hennepin County District Court, where he will be certified as an adult and plead guilty to three additional charges: second-degree assault, aiding and abetting first-degree assault, and aiding and abetting second-degree assault.

His prison sentence for those offenses will be stayed and Boyd will be placed on probation for five years, until age 26.