MINNEAPOLIS — The parents of a Minneapolis shooting victim say releasing the man charged with their son’s murder is a slap in the face.
Laleta and Derek McClendon say they feel betrayed by the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
Deveall McClendon was killed last year near the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden.
“I’m hurt,” Derek said. “My baby is gone. [Laleta’s] child is gone.”
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Police say McClendon was shot six times while driving, with the bullets coming from another vehicle.
A man was charged with the murder, and the McClendons say they were given the impression there was strong evidence against him.
MORE NEWS: Man found shot dead in south Minneapolis, police find gun nearby
The charges were dropped last month though, and the suspect walked free.
“It’s devastating,” Laleta said. “It’s crushing.”
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Laleta McClendon
In charging documents, prosecutors said the suspect’s Snapchat location “moved identically with the [shooter’s car’s] travels…as is seen on surveillance video.”
But the defense claimed Snapchat data showed the closest he ever got was half a mile away.
Prosecutors also say there’s video of the suspect holding the murder weapon.
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His lawyers argued the video doesn’t connect him to the McClendon shooting, and they say on top of that, his DNA wasn’t found in the shooter’s car either.
Prosecutors eventually dropped the charges because of “insufficient evidence…to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.”
McClendon’s parents believe strongly he wasn’t involved in anything that would’ve led to him being targeted, and the shooting was random.
“Deveall wasn’t that type of clubbing person,” Laleta said. “Didn’t do drugs, didn’t party, didn’t smoke.”
Derek says Deveall “wasn’t that kid that was going to give you problems.”
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They feel more needs to be done with their son’s case.
“I’m not just going to fold and allow this to be brushed off like this,” Laleta said. “Something has to be done. Somebody did it.”
READ MORE: Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara says department would “know zero” about automatic gunfire without ShotSpotter
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office responded to this story with a statement that said, “Mr. McClendon’s family is experiencing unimaginable pain and we are deeply sorry for their loss. We have had close contact with them throughout this process and will continue to as the investigation into this senseless tragedy continues. We continue to work with MPD to build sufficient evidence to hold anyone involved in this murder accountable for their actions.”
WCCO reached out to the Minneapolis Police Department asking for an update on the investigation but didn’t immediately hear back.
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David Schuman
David joined the WCCO team in April 2020, previously working at CBS 58 in Milwaukee. Prior to that, he worked in Las Vegas. While there, David covered several stories in the national spotlight, including the October 1 mass shooting and political visits from President Barack Obama and candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.
CHICAGO (WLS) — A United Airlines flight that left Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport Friday was diverted due to an unruly passenger, officials said.
United flight 2005 from Chicago was headed to Minneapolis but landed in Madison, Wisconsin.
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“United flight 2005 from Chicago to Minneapolis landed safely in Madison, Wisconsin to address a security concern with an unruly passenger,” the airline said in a statement. “The flight is expected to continue to Minneapolis later on Friday.”
An ICE agent facing several assault charges in connection with a January shooting involving two Venezuelan people in Minnesota has been arrested in Texas, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said.
Christian Castro was charged earlier this month with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime.
CNN is working to determine whether Castro has an attorney and has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.
Castro faces those charges in connection with the shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan man shot in the leg through the front door of a Minneapolis home. The incident took place during the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement blitz in the Twin Cities.
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Originally, Sosa-Celis and his cousin Alfredo A. Aljorna were facing federal charges after DHS said they had attacked an agent, prompting him to fire a defensive shot.
But the Justice Department dropped the charges in February, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement said two of its agents, who made false statements about the incident under oath, were placed on administrative leave.
FOX 9’s Erika Mrazik has your Thursday evening and extended forecast. Our temperatures continue to feel more like July than May, and we’ll continue to see plenty of sun.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has issued an air quality alert for the Twin Cities starting Friday.
Air quality alert in Twin Cities
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What we know:
MPCA says that ground-level ozone will be at unhealthy levels in the Twin Cities on Friday. An air quality will be in place from noon to 9 p.m.
An air quality alert in the Twin Cities. Graphic courtesy of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. (Supplied)
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Sunny skies, low humidity and warm temperatures make for favorable conditions pollutants to react with sunlight to make ground-level ozone. MPCA says the ozone will subside as the sun sets.
Who is most affected by poor air quality?
Dig deeper:
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People with asthma or other breathing conditions like COPD, chronic bronchitis and emphysema will be affected by poor quality. They can experience symptoms like difficulty deep breathing, shortness of breath, throat soreness, wheezing, coughing and unusual fatigue.
Additionally, children, teenagers and people of all ages who are doing heavy physical activity outside.
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What you can do:
MPCA recommends taking it easy while outside and limiting physical activity.
To help reduce pollution, use public transit or carpool when possible, fill up your car’s tank at dawn or dusk and avoid backyard fires.
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The Source: A press release from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
