A Hennepin County jury has found two Minneapolis men guilty in the Oct. 7, 2025 mass shooting at downtown bar Bar Zia that killed 21-year-old DaMarco Fletcher Jr. and wounded three others. Jurors convicted Arlonzo Williams Jr., 26, and Dantrell Clark, 25, on multiple counts, including second-degree intentional murder and attempted murder, in a case prosecutors said began with a fight breaking out on the dance floor.
According to FOX 9, the Hennepin County Attorney's Office brought the case and the convictions include gang-motivation enhancements as well as prohibited-possession counts. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, in a statement relayed by FOX 9, said the two men "are being held accountable" and publicly thanked the trial team and jurors. Sentencing is set for Sept. 1, 2026, with Williams scheduled for 9:30 a.m. and Clark for 11 a.m.
Bar Zia Shooting And Security Concerns
Prosecutors' filings and local reporting describe a tense build-up before the gunfire, with the suspects and an accomplice repeatedly coming and going from the bar, then a confrontation that spiraled into shots on the dance floor, according to the Star Tribune. The paper also reported alleged security lapses that night and noted the city temporarily shut Bar Zia down days later over licensing and insurance issues. Witness accounts, along with surveillance footage, were key to how prosecutors say the chaos unfolded, local outlets reported.
Evidence And Gang Allegations
Court documents and security video featured heavily at trial. Prosecutors told jurors that Williams and Clark watched as Fletcher was patted down by security, that one man then punched him and the other fired at him from close range, and that officers later recovered at least 13 .40-caliber shell casings inside the bar, according to CBS Minnesota. Prosecutors also argued the two men are connected to the "Lows" street gang and that Fletcher had ties to a rival group, a claim they used to support the gang-motivation enhancements on the charges.
Sentencing And Next Steps
Both men are set to return to Hennepin County court for sentencing on Sept. 1, 2026, with Williams scheduled for 9:30 a.m. and Clark for 11 a.m., according to FOX 9. The jury's verdicts covered second-degree intentional murder, attempted murder and prohibited-possession of a firearm. Prosecutors said they plan to present aggravating evidence at the hearings, and victim services staff were singled out for thanks in Moriarty's statement, the outlet reported.
Broader Context
The case lands in the middle of a wider fight over downtown safety and how to rein in gun violence across Minnesota, where officials have ramped up use of extreme-risk protection orders and other tools, according to The Associated Press. For Fletcher's family and people who live, work or go out downtown, the verdicts close one chapter yet arrive alongside continued calls for prevention and policy change as the city and county confront gun violence on several fronts.
