Police: Previous Dispute Likely Lead Up to Fatal Shooting Outside Richfield School

(KNSI) — Richfield police say a previous dispute between five people is what led up to a fatal shooting outside South Education Center Tuesday afternoon.

According to Police Chief Jay Henthorne, there were three victims of the shooting, including 15-year-old freshman Jahmari Rice, who died. The other two victims are an unnamed 17-year-old who is reportedly in critical condition and a 19-year-old student who suffered minor injuries.

Henthorne said two search warrants were executed simultaneously around 6:00 Tuesday night at two addresses in Minneapolis, and two suspects, ages 18 and 19, were taken into custody. A handgun was also reportedly recovered. Police say they are working with the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office on charges. KNSI does not typically name suspects until they have been formally charged.

The three victims and two suspects are students at South Education Center, which houses an alternative high school and special education programming and serves 11 school districts from Minneapolis and the surrounding suburbs. Police did not elaborate on what the dispute was about.

Rice’s father is Cortez Rice, who is currently in custody on charges of felony harassment after prosecutors say Rice went to a Minneapolis condo building trying to intimidate Judge Regina Chu, who oversaw the manslaughter trial of former Brooklyn Center police officer Kimberly Potter. Rice was already on probation for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The elder Rice has requested a furlough from the Hennepin County workhouse. The judge said he was sympathetic to Rice’s situation but did not immediately decide.

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