Teen ordered to stand trial as adult in fatal Mall of America shooting

A teenager was ordered this week to stand trial for murder as an adult in connection with a fatal shooting at the Mall of America the day before Christmas Eve.

Lavon Longstreet is accused of shooting 19-year-old Johntae Hudson inside the Nordstrom department store at the mall. The Hennepin County Attorney's Office charged him and an accomplice with second-degree murder and assault while two other teens face riot charges for their role in the fight that turned to gunfire. At the time of the shooting, Longstreet was 17 years old and six weeks away from turning 18.

Surveillance video shows the suspects chasing Hudson, of St. Paul, through the store before Longstreet and TaeShawn Adams-Wright, 18, stood over him and fired multiple shots.

Longstreet fled the state and Bloomington police issued a warrant. Authorities arrested him in Georgia three weeks after the shooting.

Ever since, parties have argued whether his case should proceed in juvenile or adult court. In a hearing Monday, Judge Bruce Manning sided with prosecutors.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty filed an official motion soon after taking office to have Longstreet certified as an adult, which was the direction the case was headed under the previous administration.

"Our goal is to protect community safety based on the unique circumstances of each case," Moriarty said in a statement. "Mr. Longstreet played a lead role in a brazen shooting that left one person dead and endangered the lives of many others at the Mall of America. Given his age and role in the murder we will prosecute this case through the adult system."

According to the charges:

Hudson was shot eight times shortly before 8 p.m. on Dec. 23, 2022. He died at the scene and police recovered his firearm that they say he fired twice.

Longstreet is shown chasing and tackling Hudson before a struggle ensued. Then he and Adams-Wright are shown holding firearms and running toward Hudson.

Longstreet pointed a gun toward Hudson, and the video shows a muzzle flash. Adams-Wright took a shooting stance over Hudson, while Longstreet also stood over him.

Meanwhile, customers and employees took cover. A bullet grazed one woman and she later found a bullet hole in her coat.

Adams-Wright's trial is slated for September. He and Longstreet remain in custody. A trial date for Longstreet has not been set.

In a separate, nonfatal shooting at the Mall of America's Nike store in August, 23-year-old Rashad May was charged with second-degree assault and aiding an offender to avoid arrest. He pleaded guilty this week to aiding his accomplice, Shamar Lark.

In exchange, prosecutors dismissed May’s assault charge. He will be sentenced June 27.