Man pleads guilty to murder in fatal shooting outside Richfield school

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced today that Fernando Valdez-Alvarez, 19, of Minneapolis, pled guilty to second-degree unintentional murder and first-degree assault in the fatal shooting that occurred outside the South Education Center in Richfield February 1, 2022.

Mr. Valdez-Alvarez admitted in court to shooting and killing 15-year-old Jahmari Rice and wounding another 17-year-old victim. At sentencing, the agreement calls for Mr. Valdez-Alvarez to be sentenced to 180 months on the second-degree unintentional murder conviction and a consecutive 103 months on the first-degree assault conviction, for a total sentence of 283 months. These sentences are the maximum permitted under the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines in this case.

“School should be a safe sanctuary where kids can focus on learning, growing, and preparing for the future,” Moriarty said. “Mr. Valdez-Alvarez took that away from Jahmari Rice. We hope this admission of guilt is a positive step in the healing process for Jahmari’s family. Our office will continue to aggressively prioritize prosecution of violent crime and seek to hold those who commit violence accountable for their actions.”

Sentencing is scheduled for February 23, 2023, at 1:00 pm.