MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A 19-year-old Brooklyn Center man received a 21-year sentence for shooting at a group of people gathered in Brooklyn Park’s Central Park in April – accidently killing a friend in the process.
According to the Hennepin County Attorney’s office, DeShawn Deaondre Roberts shot and killed 16-year-old Terrence Creamer at a barbeque in Central Park on April 24.
Roberts declined to speak at his sentencing, but he was cited as being remorseful from the beginning of the investigation. Hennepin County District Court Judge William Koch noted that Roberts thought of Creamer as his little brother.
Roberts pleaded guilty to second-degree unintentional murder, with a sentence of 252 months in prison. Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines recommend a sentence of 195 months, but Assistant Hennepin County Attorney Christina Warren told the court that the longer sentence was to “recognize the intended victim and the risk to all the other people in the park that day” who could have been struck by the bullets Roberts fired.
Judge Koch also agreed with the recommendation that Roberts undergo a chemical health evaluation, attend a cognitive skills program, enroll in a GED program and learn employment skills while in prison.
Roberts admitted that he was at Central Park on the night of April 24 and got into an argument with another young man. As the two headed to the parking lot to fight, Roberts grabbed a gun and fired at least six shots toward the other man.
Creamer was struck in the head in the process, and died five days later from his injury.
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office Victim Advocate read a statement written by Creamer’s mother, who described her son as “funny, caring, athletic and handsome.” The statement also mentioned all that Creamer did for his brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews.
The statement ended with Creamer’s mother saying that she will be praying for Roberts, and he should stay in touch with the Creamer family while in prison.
“We know it was an accident and he didn’t mean to kill Terry,” wrote Creamer’s mother.
