Minneapolis man sentenced to 20 years in prison for fatal shooting

A Minneapolis man was sentenced to 240 months in prison for the fatal shooting of 34-year-old Gerald Buffet, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced Tuesday.

Darryll Lamont Wilkes, 27, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced Monday morning to 240 months in prison.

According to the criminal complaint, on the evening of Dec. 13, 2017, police were called to a shooting in the 1400 block of Portland Avenue. Police found Buffet lying on an apartment floor with a single gunshot wound to the head. Witnesses told police that Wilkes argued with Buffet, pulled out a gun and shot him.

In court, a victim advocate read an impact statement from Buffet’s father in which he said, “…words cannot express the pain and anguish I have felt since this senseless act. There will be no more birthdays, backyard BBQ gatherings during holidays… no more hearing his laughter, no more hugs or seeing his smile. You [Wilkes] took that all away.”