Minneapolis man charged in fatal shooting of Deshaun Hill

A Minneapolis man has been charged for fatally shooting North Minneapolis High School student Deshaun Hill, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced Tuesday.

Cody Logan Fohrenkam, 29, faces one count of intentional second-degree murder for the death of 15-year-old Deshaun Hill on Feb. 9 in North Minneapolis.

Fohrenkam is scheduled to make his first appearance Feb. 23 at 1:30 p.m.

“Deshaun Hill was only 15-years-old when he was fatally shot. This is a tragic death of a young man who should still be with us today,” Freeman stated. “Our community once again mourns the loss of a life due to senseless gun violence. My thoughts go out to his family, friends, and loved ones during this unimaginably difficult time,”

“The case is now with the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, and we will do our work as ministers of justice to ensure the defendant is held accountable for his actions. And I want to acknowledge the excellent work conducted by the Minneapolis Police Department in investigating this case.”

According to the criminal complaint, Minneapolis police responded to a call about a shooting near Golden Valley Road and Penn Avenue North. Upon arrival, Hill was found with a single gunshot wound to the head. Paramedics took him to North Memorial Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead.

Over the course of the investigation, numerous witnesses and a surveillance video from the area helped investigators identify Fohrenkam as the suspected shooter, the complaint states. Witnesses at the scene also positively identified Fohrenkam in a photo lineup.

Minneapolis Police executed a search warrant at the house where Fohrenkam went after the shooting. There police found a backpack with markings similar those that seen in the surveillance video and which matched descriptions from witnesses, the complaint says.

Upon being arrested, Fohrenkam denied being in the state at the time of the shooting. He then changed his account of what happened, claiming to have been with a family member in South Minneapolis, before finally admitting to being in the vicinity, the complaint continues.

After that interview with Fohrenkam, investigators spoke with the family member who denied being with him on Feb. 9.

Since his arrest, police have been informed of jail calls Fohrenkam made seeking to create an alibi for himself. Fohrenkam is currently in custody, the complaint says.

View the criminal complaint for Cody Fohrenkam (PDF).