A sophomore who just transferred to a Minnesota school was shot dead and another student was wounded in a brazen shooting outside the school during lunch time on Tuesday.
Jahmari Rice was gunned down on his second day at South Education Center in Richfield, about 10 miles from Minneapolis. The teen’s father, Cortez Rice, is currently in jail after he allegedly tried to intimidate the judge presiding over the high-profile manslaughter conviction of former cop Kim Potter.
Police have not identified the second shooting victim as they hunt for the suspects. They also have not said whether the shooting has any connection to Potter’s case, who was convicted of manslaughter after killing Daunte Wright during a traffic stop.
Shots were fired around noon near the front entrance of South Education Center, an alternative school in serving students ages preschool to 21.
Officers said the victims were shot while standing on the sidewalk.
The suspects fled the scene immediately and remain at large, Richfield Police Chief Jay Henthorne confirmed to the StarTribune.
‘The incident remains under active investigation, and law enforcement is searching for the suspects,’ he said.
It is not immediately clear what prompted the shooting or whether the students were targeted.
Paramedics transported the students to nearby Hennepin County Medical Center where Rice died.
Damik Bryant, a close family friend, confirmed his death to the newspaper and described the teen as ‘happy, funny’ and someone who enjoyed playing video games.
The other victim is said to be in critical condition.
High schooler Jahmari Rice was killed in Tuesday’s shooting. It was his second day attending school at South Education Center
Police are searching for suspects who killed one student and left another critically wounded in a shooting outside a Minnesota high school
The shooting took place just after noon Tuesday on the sidewalk outside South Education Center, an alternative school in Richfield serving students from preschool to age 21
When police responded to the school, they found two students wounded on the sidewalk outside the facility’s front entrance. One had been shot in the chest.
The 200-student facility was placed under a ‘hard lockdown’ and evacuated as police, the FBI and other authorities searched for the gunmen.
As a precaution, other schools in the area were also placed on lockdown that was later lifted, NBC News reported.
Tuesday was Rice’s second day at South Education Center, according to the football coach at Richfield High School, where the teen previously attended.
Rice had played on Richfield’s team as a freshman and this past season as a sophomore.
‘When he had things going, he was very intense, a very positive kid,’ Richfield head coach Kris Pulford told the StarTribune.
‘He stood up for his buddies, and he loved the game of football.’
The teen reportedly transferred to South Education Center so ‘he could find a place where he can be successful.’
‘Jahmari had heart. He was a good kid,’ Pulford added.
He transferred to the school from Richfield High School, where he played football. The sophomore was reportedly trying to ‘find a place where he can be successful’
Cortez Rice (pictured) is currently in jail after he allegedly tried to intimidate the judge presiding over the high-profile manslaughter conviction of former cop Kim Potter
Tuesday’s shooting is another string of fatal incidents that have rocked the greater Minneapolis area.
Rice was shot in Richfield, which is located about seven miles from the large metropolis.
Wright, 20, was fatally shot in April 2021 during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center – approximately 17 miles from Richfield – as Potter and other officers were trying to arrest him on an outstanding warrant for a weapons possession charge.
Potter, who is white, was convicted in December of first-degree and second-degree manslaughter.
Jahmari Rice father is currently in jail on charges related to attempting to intimidate the judge who presided over ex-cop Kim Potter’s trial.
She claims she confused her handgun for her Taser when she shot and killed Wright, who is black. She is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 18.
Cortez Rice faces felony harassment charges after he allegedly attempted to threaten Hennepin County Judge Regina Chu, who was presiding over Potter’s case.
He is accused of leading a protest at what he believed to be Chu’s apartment and broadcasting it live on Facebook, CBS 4 reported. The judge believed she was being targeted and the protestors had the ‘intention to intimidate her and interfere with the judicial process’.
Cortez Rice denies the intimidation and harassment accusations.
A hearing has been scheduled in his case and his attorney, Jordan Kushner, plans to push that he be released as prosecution continues.
‘He should be able to go home from jail,’ Kushner said. ‘His son is killed. … He would have been taking care of him.’
Bryant, the Rice family friend, hopes Rice’s death ‘wakes the city up.’
‘We need change,’ he said. ‘We’re out here fighting for the community, and the community takes Cortez’s son. That makes no sense.’
Cortez Rice left, of Minneapolis, sat in the middle of Hennepin Avenue on March 7, 2021 to mourn the death of George Floyd
Paramedics transported the students to nearby Hennepin County Medical Center where one of them died. The other remains in critical condition
The suspects fled the scene immediately and remain at large
The community is mourning the tragedy.
The police chief called it a ‘tragic day in Richfield’ and said their ‘hearts and prayers and thoughts go out to District 287 students, their families and their community.’
‘It is with an exceedingly heavy heart that we learned earlier today there were shots fired outside of the South Education Center near the front entrance,’ echoed District 287 Superintendent Sandra Lewandowski.
‘We expressed our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims.’
Lewandowski also called the shooting a ‘terrible tragedy and loss’ and argued the district will do everything it can to support the academic community.
‘There are no words to describe the bravery exhibited by our staff and local authorities today. No one should ever have to respond to a tragedy like this,’ she added.
Police Chief Jay Hentorne (pictured) called it a ‘tragic day in Richfield’ and said their ‘hearts and prayers and thoughts go out to District 287 students, their families and their community’
Law enforcement members are pictured at the scene of a shooting outside South Education Center in Richfield
South Education Center had also been placed under lockdown last September when a student was arrested after bringing a loaded handgun to school in their backpack. The student did not threaten anyone or use the weapon.
At the time, district spokeswoman Rachel Hicks said the incident ‘was handled swiftly.’
Hicks also noted how the school, which serves 11 cities in the west metro area, had phased out metal detectors and no longer had them at building entrances.
Additionally, the district recently removed all school resource officers from its facilities. The schools instead have student safety coaches that focus on building relationships and working on mental health issues.
The school shooting occurred in Richfield, which is located outside of Minneapolis
