Arrest made in connection to killing of Minneapolis high school senior
Minneapolis police have arrested a suspect in connection to a shooting that left a 17-year-old dead and seriously injured a man outside a convenience store on the city's North Side on Monday.
The arrest was made Thursday morning following a pursuit that ended in Plymouth. Details of the pursuit have not been released, but WCCO reports that both a police vehicle and the suspect vehicle were towed away following the incident.
Minneapolis PD confirmed that the suspect was wanted in connection to Monday's fatal shooting outside the Super USA convenience store on the 3800 block of Fremont Avenue. The 17-year-old killed in the shooting has been identified as Andre Conley, a senior at Minneapolis Patrick Henry High School and an outreach leader with the Lacy Johnson campaign.
"He was a volunteer campaign leader for Mr. Johnson. He was loved by his peers, teachers and principal. And loved more than anyone by his mother and father and every single one of his family members," says a GoFundMe that was launched following the shooting.
Proceeds from the GoFundMe were originally planned to be sent to Conley's family, but the teen's family has since asked that all donations go to the family of the other victim in Monday's shooting.
Both Kelly and the other victim were members of Lacy Johnson's campaign outreach team, though the shooting does not appear to be politically motivated. Johnson, a Republican running in the 5th Congressional District, issued a statement from his campaign after the tragedy.
"We are shocked and saddened to learn of this senseless act of violence. It is shocking and unnecessary acts of violence like this that prove why change is more needed than ever in our community," he and his team said in the statement. "The shooting did not occur during a campaign event or outreach, and we do not believe it has any connection to their work for the campaign."
Minneapolis Patrick Henry's Facebook page has a post mourning the loss of Conley.
"It is with a heavy heart that we share that we have lost one of our 12th grade students, Andre Conley," the post begins. "Our thoughts are with this students’ family and loved ones during this difficult time, and out of respect for their privacy, we are not sharing any additional information.
"We know this event affects our school community greatly. We all share in the grief and sense of loss, and we are working together to support the family, as well as our students and staff. We have school counselors, social workers and other staff available to speak with students at any time during the day.
"We encourage you to listen and talk to your children during this time. The grieving process can look different for every student. If you would like more information regarding the support we can provide your child, please call 612.668-2000 and you will be directed to someone who can help. Thank you for supporting our school community."