A 29-year-old Minneapolis man already sitting in jail on unrelated gun and drug charges is now facing a second-degree murder charge, accused of fatally shooting another man in a south Minneapolis alley in early August. Keshaun Schelven Coatie was formally charged Monday with one count of aiding and abetting intentional second-degree murder, following a monthslong investigation that leaned on surveillance video, cellphone data, and DNA evidence to place him at the scene.
Alley Shooting Left Victim Dead at the Scene
The shooting happened on August 7 in an alley south of East Franklin Avenue between Third Avenue South and Clinton Avenue South, according to CBS News. Minneapolis police responded to reports of gunfire and found a man who had suffered gunshot wounds to the torso and pelvis; he died at the scene. ShotSpotter sensors detected the gunfire that day, and investigators soon turned to surveillance footage that showed a Dodge Charger parked near the alley just minutes before shots rang out.
That footage reportedly captured a passenger entering a nearby apartment building, while Coatie and another passenger jogged toward the victim's vehicle while holding their waistbands, according to the criminal complaint cited by the same outlet. The pair then returned to the Charger, where Coatie was seen putting something in the trunk. License plate readers picked up the Dodge Charger in the area both before and after the shooting, helping investigators zero in on the vehicle's movements.
Forensic Evidence Tied Coatie to the Scene
Police flagged Coatie early on as someone who knew the victim. The Charger's owner told investigators he had loaned the car to Coatie while he entered rehab, per the complaint. Investigators later found Coatie's fingerprint on the vehicle's trunk and detected his DNA inside the car — physical evidence that, combined with cellphone records, placed him squarely in the timeline of the shooting.
According to the complaint, Coatie's phone was turned off for about 40 minutes around the time of the shooting, and phone data otherwise coincided with the Charger's movements at key moments. When Coatie spoke with police on September 17, he claimed he had borrowed the Charger to make a trip to Chicago — but phone data showed he didn't actually travel there until roughly five days after the shooting. Police noted in the complaint that Coatie made several demonstrably false statements during that interview.
Traffic Stop Led to Jail, Then Homicide Charges
Coatie was already in custody by the time investigators sat down with him. Minneapolis police arrested him on September 15 during a traffic stop for driving with a revoked license and no insurance, according to MN Crime. That stop and the jail booking that followed turned up a loaded handgun, three cellphones, digital scales, $1,140 in counterfeit bills, and $5,254 in cash, along with suspected cocaine found in the squad car and a jail bathroom.
Coatie was legally barred from possessing firearms or ammunition because of a January 2023 conviction for second-degree assault, the outlet's report notes. He is separately charged with illegal possession of a firearm and third-degree drug sale in connection with the September traffic stop — a case that, like the murder charge, has not yet gone to trial. He had also given a different cellphone number to his conditional release officer, according to the complaint referenced in the CBS News report.
Coatie's record includes another serious violent-crime allegation from outside Hennepin County. A May 2021 complaint filed in Sibley County District Court charged him with attempted first-degree murder following a November 2020 shooting in Winthrop, Minnesota, according to Sibley County District Court records. Investigators described a similar pattern in that case — Coatie allegedly exiting a vehicle, firing shots, and fleeing.
What Coatie Faces in Court
Under Minnesota Statute § 609.19, intentional second-degree murder is defined as causing a death intentionally but without premeditation, carrying a maximum sentence of up to 40 years in prison, according to Mauzy Law Firm. Minnesota does not have a death penalty, and life sentences are generally reserved for premeditated first-degree murder cases. Police describe Coatie as known to be involved in significant narcotics sales and as having ties out of state; he remains in custody as of Monday.
A Broader Drop in Minneapolis Homicides
The alley shooting occurred against the backdrop of a broader decline in fatal violence across Minneapolis. Mid-year data released by the Council on Criminal Justice and reported by KARE 11 showed Minneapolis homicides fell 30% during the first half of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025. Deadly violence in Minneapolis remained above 2019 baseline levels. Minneapolis recorded 64 homicides in 2025, down from 77 in 2024, while reaching an 80% homicide clearance rate — its highest in recent city history, according to FOX 9.
Part of that shift traces to structural changes inside the police department. In March 2026, Minneapolis created the Firearm Assault Shoot Team, a specialized unit built to give non-fatal shooting investigations the same immediate forensic and detective resources typically reserved for homicides, according to the City of Minneapolis.
