Who was Jahmari Rice? How Minnesota 15-yr-old's death might be linked to Kim Potter
A sophomore who was just transferred to a Minnesota school was shot dead and another student was wounded in a brazen shooting outside the school during lunchtime on Tuesday, February 1.
Jahmari Rice, 15, was shot dead in front of his school, on his second day at South Education Center in Richfield, about 10 miles from Minneapolis. Rice's father, Cortez Rice, is currently in jail after he allegedly tried to intimidate Hennepin County Judge Regina Chu who is presiding over the high-profile manslaughter conviction of former cop Kim Potter.
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The shots were fired around noon near the front entrance of South Education Center, an alternative school in serving students aged 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 Star Tribune. He said, "the incident remains under active investigation, and law enforcement is searching for the suspects."
Police have not identified the second shooting victim. 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. It is not immediately clear what prompted the shooting or whether the students were targeted. Just after the incident, 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. Paramedics transported the students to nearby Hennepin County Medical Center where Rice died.
Damik Bryant, a close family friend, confirmed his death and described the teen as 'happy, funny' and someone who enjoyed playing video games. The other victim is said to be in critical condition. 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 which was later lifted.
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 Star Tribune. "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."
Tuesday's shooting is a part of a string of fatal incidents that have recently shocked the Greater Minneapolis area. Rice was shot in Richfield, which is located about seven miles from the large metropolis.
Daunte Wright, 20, was fatally shot in April 2021 during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center approximately 17 miles from Richfield, as Kim Potter and other officers were trying to arrest him on an outstanding warrant for a weapons possession charge. Potter was convicted in December of first-degree and second-degree manslaughter.
She claims she confused her handgun for her Taser when she shot and killed Wright. She is scheduled to be sentenced on February 18.
Cortez Rice, Jamhari's father, faces felony harassment charges after he allegedly attempted to threaten Hennepin County Judge Regina Chu. He is accused of leading a protest at what he believed to be Chu's apartment and broadcasting it live on Facebook, CBS. The judge believed she was being targeted and the protesters had the 'intention to intimidate her'.
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." The community is mourning the tragedy. "We expressed our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims," said District 287 Superintendent Sandra Lewandowski. She also called the shooting a 'terrible tragedy and loss' and argued the district will do everything it can to support the academic community.