A street clash-turned-shooting at a notorious Minneapolis intersection has led to a felony firearms conviction for a reputed gang member, the U.S. Attorney's Office reported. Traigh Sean Tillman, a 30-year-old associated with the Minneapolis Bloods, was found guilty of possessing ammunition after an altercation in August 2022 that ended with gunfire and a self-inflicted wound.
The confrontation, captured by surveillance cameras, unfolded at the deserted crossroad of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue, where Tillman armed and determined scuffled with another individual in a parked car during the early hours, Tillman fired two shots in the heat of the moment he shot himself in the leg then he hobbled away from the scene, as court documents detail his subsequent trip to the Hennepin County Medical Center where he spun tales about his injuries before leaving abruptly against medical advice. Prohibited by law from possessing firearms due to previous felonies, Tillman's actions landed him back in court.
Following the trial presided over by Judge Susan Richard Nelson, Tillman faced the legal music and was convicted on one count of possession of ammunition as a felon after a two-day trial. Sentencing is expected to be announced later, amounting to more than just a footnote in Tillman's criminal journey.
Joint efforts by the FBI, the Minneapolis Police Department, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Minnesota Department of Corrections were critical in constructing the case that put Tillman behind bars and as Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Calhoun-Lopez and David M. Classen, who prosecuted, can attest the trial marks a small yet significant step in the broader strife against gang-related violence within the city.
