Minneapolis man sentenced to 10 years in prison for brother’s murder

A Minneapolis man was sentenced to 120 months in prison for murdering his 43-years-old brother, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced Thursday.

Antonio Tony Clark, 49, pleaded guilty to second-degree, unintentional murder last week for the fatal shooting of his brother Anthony Clark.

At his sentencing Thursday morning, Antonio Clark declined to say anything about the case. His attorney said her client had shown much remorse, has struggled with the fact that it involves his entire family and wants to serve his time. She also said Antonio Clark had worked for several years at a truck company and his supervisors praised him as an employee.

“This is such a tragedy,” said Hennepin County District Court Judge Fred Karasov. “If you didn’t have a gun, if he didn’t have a gun, this wouldn’t have happened. Now he is dead and you are going to prison,” adding that Antonio was prohibited from having a gun due to an earlier felony conviction.

According to the criminal complaint, on Feb. 16, police were dispatched to a shooting at a home in the 3500 block of Lyndale Avenue North. A witness led the officers to the basement where they found Anthony Clark slumped inside a closet with a small caliber handgun next to him.

The victim’s girlfriend stated that she and Anthony had been in front of the house when they saw defendant Antonio go inside with a large handgun. She said that Anthony went after Antonio and a short time later, she heard three small taps, which she recognized as shots from a smaller gun, followed by several louder shots from a larger gun. She saw a red truck drive away, according to the complaint.

Investigators also spoke with the victim’s nine-year-old son. He said his uncle, “Big T,” entered the house looking for someone. The boy reported that Antonio Clark pulled out a handgun and went to the basement, followed by Anthony Clark, the complaint states.

A woman in the basement told police she was watching TV with her baby in a room that was behind a curtain. Antonio Clark poked his head around the curtain looking for someone. The woman told police that she heard the brothers arguing and Anthony telling Antonio to get out of the house. She then heard three gunshots and heard Antonio say, “My brother just shot me.” She heard several more gunshots and Anthony said the same thing, according to the complaint.

Antonio Clark was dropped off at North Memorial Hospital by someone in a red truck. He was treated for non-life threatening gunshot wounds, the complaint states.

An examination of the basement where the shooting occurred turned up discharged cartridge casings consistent with the victim, Anthony, firing a small gun while backed into the closet. It also revealed that Antonio fired a larger gun.

Clark Criminal Complaint (PDF)