The arrest of a teenager in last month’s shooting death of an 11-year-old boy in Minneapolis will not lead to murder charges, according to a senior source with the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
The shooting took place near Folwell Park in north Minneapolis, and while the 16-year-old is accused of killing 11-year-old Amir Atkins, the source said that Atkins was seen on surveillance video pointing what appears to be a weapon at the 16-year-old before the shooting. Whether or not Atkins fired a weapon remains under investigation, but he was riding in a stolen car, the source said.
While criminal charges are pending against the 16-year-old, the evidence made it unlikely that a murder charge would overcome a claim of self-defense.
“There’s been a system failure here,” the source said about the series of events that led to Atkins death. “We need to understand how it happened and work to ensure it never happens again.”
The Minneapolis Police Department announced the arrest Wednesday. The suspect, who was not named by police, was arrested Tuesday morning in Apple Valley and booked into the Hennepin County Juvenile Detention Center.
“I am incredibly grateful to the hard work of the investigators who worked to complete a thorough investigation of this heinous crime,” Police Chief Brian O’Hara said in a statement. “I am hopeful that this arrest brings a sense of justice for Amir and his family.”
Investigators believe someone in one or more vehicles shot toward Amir as they drove through Folwell Park at around 2 p.m. on June 23. A bullet struck Amir in the driveway of the park, and his brother, who was with him, asked nearby resident Troy Young for help.
Young drove the child in his pickup truck to a nearby Minneapolis officer. Despite CPR and help from medics, he said Amir died “right there in my lap.”
