MINNEAPOLIS (TCD) — A man will be sentenced to nearly 38 years in prison for the 2021 death of a 9-year-old girl who got caught in the crossfire of a drive-by shooting.
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office announced Dpree Shareef Robinson pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the death of Trinity Ottoson-Smith. He will receive a sentence of 450 months behind bars, which equates to 37 1/2 years.
According to the criminal complaint, on May 15, 2021, Minneapolis Police responded to a shot spotter call on the 2200 block of Ilion Avenue North. Surveillance video captured a drive-by shooting in which Trinity, who was jumping on a trampoline in the backyard of a home, was struck by the bullet. Trinity died 12 days later, KARE-TV reports.
The complaint says Trinity and two other children were “directly between the shooter and the intended targets, who appeared to be three males on the side porch of the residence, dressed in dark clothing.”
One of the three men reportedly chased after the car, a 2014 Ford Fusion, on foot and shot back.
Robinson bought the Fusion three days before the shooting.
Robinson and a resident of the Ilion Avenue home who was referred to as W.J. in the criminal complaint exchanged text messages, and Robinson told him to “pop out.” The two were members of rival gangs.
Robinson also reportedly dated W.J.’s sister, but they broke up and she accused him of cheating on her.
After the shooting, Robinson reportedly looked up how to change paint color on the Fusion, then stopped using his phone. The criminal complaint says investigators conducted a nationwide search for the vehicle, but the car “appears to have vanished.”
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in the news release regarding Robinson’s plea, “Trinity was doing what kids should be doing in springtime in Minnesota, playing with friends and having fun outside. Mr. Robinson’s actions shocked our community and devastated her family and all who loved her. I’m hopeful his admission of guilt begins to bring some degree of closure for Trinity’s family and the community.”
He will be sentenced March 21.
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