D’Shawn JC Porter, 26, of Inver Grove Heights was shot and killed just before 2 p.m. on Thursday, August 15, 2024, in a south Minneapolis parking lot in the 2900 block of 12th Avenue South, about two blocks from Midtown Global Market on Lake Street. Witnesses say Porter and another person were directed behind a thrift store to buy cocaine; the alleged seller, 21-year-old Angel Jesus Zavala Gallegos of Minneapolis, reportedly produced a handgun after being asked for more drugs and shot Porter in the head. Officers found Porter with a gunshot wound; he was pronounced dead at the scene and the Hennepin County Medical Examiner ruled the cause of death gunshot wounds to the head and neck, homicide. Detectives reviewed nearby surveillance, recovered partial fingerprints from surfaces the suspect touched while fleeing, and used witness statements to identify Gallegos, who fled on foot when officers tried to arrest him but was captured and later charged with second-degree murder with bail set at $1 million. Porter’s family spoke about his struggles with drug addiction and their belief the drug epidemic contributed to the tragedy.

If anyone was in the area that afternoon or has information about the transaction behind the thrift store, please come forward.