The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office secured guilty pleas from Antonio Deshawn Timberlake, 27, in relation to a Minneapolis shooting that killed 34-year-old Pierre Romel Miller and injured three others on Feb. 27, 2024.
Timberlake pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree intentional murder and three counts of second-degree assault. Under the terms of the plea agreement, he will be sentenced to 44 years.
“Our thoughts are with Mr. Miller’s family and with the other victims affected by this extreme act of violence,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said. “No sentence of any length will return Mr. Miller to his loved ones, nor will it undo the trauma and injuries suffered by the other victims. However, Mr. Timberlake’s nearly 45-year sentence reflects the severity of his actions and protects our community.”
Timberlake’s sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 7, 2025.
Three additional people were charged in connection with the shooting:
Albert Jerome Lucas, 20, on one count of aiding and abetting second-degree murder and three counts of aiding and abetting attempted second-degree murder.
Victor Mortar Collins, 22, on one count of aiding and abetting second-degree murder and three counts of aiding and abetting second-degree murder.
Elizabeth A. Dominquez, 28, on one count of aiding an offender.
The shooting occurred between an alley and a sidewalk near the intersection of the 800 block of East Franklin Avenue and Chicago Avenue. Officers arriving at the scene found three victims including Miller, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Speaking to reporters on the day of the shooting, Minneapolis Chief Brian O’Hara noted that crime at the intersection has “historically been driven by narcotics sales.”
“Whenever you have a problem with fentanyl, narcotics illicit sales, there aren’t legitimate ways to resolve disputes; that tends to create the conditions where something like this can happen.”