Six years in prison for man who shot several people

Rico King was sentenced to 72 months in prison for his involvement in a shooting at Little Earth on May 18, the Hennepin County Attorney’s office announced Monday.

King, 22, of Minneapolis, pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon last week. Today, he was sentenced to 36 months on each count to be served consecutively. He was given credit for 271 days already served.

According to the criminal complaint, Minneapolis police officers arrived at the Little Earth housing complex on the evening of May 18 and encountered a crowd of about 50 people. Six people had been shot, five of them by King.

At the scene, police recovered numerous discharged cartridge casings and several firearms, Witnesses and video indicated that the main shooters were King and a 14-year-old. Because of his age, the information on the 14-year-old’s juvenile case is not public.

King said very little when he pleaded guilty and said nothing at his sentencing, so the reason for the shooting remains unclear.