A Minnesota appeals court has reaffirmed the firearm conviction of a 34-year-old Rochester man tied to a June 2022 gunfight in the city's Kutzky Park neighborhood, leaving his five-year prison sentence intact after Olmsted County District Court Judge Pamela King acquitted him at trial of the more serious charges connected to the shooting itself.
Kacey Kamara was convicted in 2023 of illegal possession of a firearm and/or ammunition by a felon convicted of a crime of violence, a charge that stemmed from a confrontation in the 1000 block of West Center Street, according to krocnews.com. An Olmsted County judge acquitted him at the same time of second-degree assault, drive-by shooting toward a person, and first-degree witness tampering. The Minnesota Court of Appeals had upheld Kamara's sentence in a ruling issued in July, and the Minnesota Supreme Court subsequently agreed to review that decision, directing the appeals court to reconsider whether circumstantial evidence supported the conviction, according to 106.9 KROC.
What Happened on West Center Street
The case traces back to the evening of June 3, 2022, when Kamara and 38-year-old Larry Dion Jackson were arrested following a shooting in the Kutzky Park neighborhood. Police and witnesses said Jackson fired multiple shots at a vehicle occupied by Kamara and several others, and that Kamara fired one shot back at Jackson as the vehicle sped away, per the Post Bulletin.
Rochester police responded to numerous reports of gunfire and collected eleven 9mm shell casings from the front yard of a residence, the same outlet's report notes. Investigators also used security-system and mobile-device video recordings as part of their case, per 106.9 KROC.
A Split Verdict at Trial
Judge Pamela King ruled in September 2023 that there was not enough evidence to convict Kamara of the assault and shooting charges, but found him guilty of possessing a firearm, the Post Bulletin reported. Kamara was ordered to serve 40 of the 60-month sentence in custody and 20 months on supervised release, with credit for 118 days already served, according to the same account.
The firearm and ammunition at the center of the conviction were found in an apartment Kamara shared with his fiancée and their children, where he frequently lived. On appeal, Kamara argued the circumstantial evidence presented at trial was insufficient to prove he possessed the weapon and ammunition, the station's report states.
Jackson's Case Still Pending
Jackson, who was charged with second-degree assault and illegal possession of a firearm, had his case proceed separately from Kamara's, according to KIMT. Court documents cited by that station state Jackson fired multiple shots at Kamara and others in a car while Kamara fired one shot back as the vehicle left the scene. Jackson's criminal case remains pending, with a court hearing on his charges scheduled for later in October, per 106.9 KROC.
