North Minneapolis (trfnews.i234.me) — A man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for the cold-blooded killing of Samuel Yeager in North Minneapolis on Valentine’s Day 2024.
According to Hennepin County officials, Dominick Ramone Thomas Kirkland, 27, pleaded guilty two months ago to second-degree intentional murder. The fatal shooting occurred just after 1 a.m. near the intersection of West Broadway and Emerson Avenue North on February 14, 2024. Yeager was gunned down in an area packed with people.
“My thoughts are with Samuel’s family and loved ones,” said Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty in a news release. “This was a callous act of extreme violence. Mr. Kirkland is being held accountable, and a lengthy prison sentence is appropriate in the interest of public safety.”
The court determined that Kirkland’s crime warranted an upward departure from Minnesota’s typical sentencing guidelines. Factors cited included:
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The particularly cruel nature of the shooting,
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Kirkland’s failure to render aid to the victim, and
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The increased danger to numerous bystanders who were nearby when the gunfire erupted.
The harsh 40-year sentence underscores the severity of the crime and the heightened threat it posed to the community.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.
Did you know?
The sentencing guidelines in Minnesota typically recommend a shorter prison term for second-degree intentional murder, but judges can issue harsher penalties — known as upward departures — when crimes show unusually heinous circumstances, such as cruelty, public danger, or lack of remorse.