A Hennepin County judge on Monday handed Mickiah Latrell Jackson a 40-year prison sentence for a south Minneapolis shooting that killed Derrick Lamont Ewing last April. A jury convicted Jackson of second-degree murder and a weapons-possession charge, and the court credited him with 371 days already served.
According to KSTP, prosecutors leaned on surveillance footage and witness testimony to link Jackson to the April 30, 2025, shooting on the 3000 block of 15th Avenue South. The victim, 51-year-old Derrick Lamont Ewing, was found with multiple gunshot wounds and later died at Hennepin Healthcare.
The Minneapolis Police Department said ShotSpotter alerted officers to gunfire that evening and that investigators later recovered shell casings and other physical evidence, according to a Minneapolis Police bulletin. Detectives reviewed video from nearby businesses and city cameras, followed up on witness tips, and arrested Jackson on May 6.
Investigation and witness accounts
Surveillance clips showed a group near Lake Street and 15th Avenue South and, as reported by MN CRIME, witnesses later picked Jackson out of a photo lineup. One witness told detectives Jackson admitted to robbing and shooting Ewing, and prosecutors had signaled they would seek an aggravated sentence because of Jackson’s criminal record.
Prosecutors and community response
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, quoted by KSTP, said, "This was a terrible act of violence and today’s sentence ensures Mr. Jackson will not commit additional harm." City leaders and police had pledged extra patrols in the area after a string of deadly shootings that weekend, a move the police bulletin said was part of a broader community safety response.
Detailed the arrests and charges tied to last spring’s south Minneapolis shootings, including the 15th Avenue South case. For many neighbors and family members, Monday’s sentence brought a measure of closure after months of grief and public concern.
