After hour of deliberation, jury finds man guilty of double murder in Minneapolis

A Hennepin County jury has convicted a Minneapolis man of murdering two young men and wounding a woman in a Lowry Hill East neighborhood shooting last February.

As a result of the verdicts, which came after about an hour of deliberation Thursday, Immir Fyontane Rice, 25, will spend life in prison without the possibility of parole for killing Davante Lavar-King Reid, 29, of Minneapolis and Khalil Amer Bryant, 23, of Robbinsdale. The victims mothers' rejoiced the verdicts and praised the work of police and prosecutors, but expressed disbelief that Rice wasn't already incarcerated before he killed their sons on Feb. 15, 2023.

Rice is a felon prohibited from possessing firearms after being convicted of a 2017 first-degree aggravated robbery, for which he served three years in prison. In 2022, he was convicted of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm, but was given probation and his five-year sentence was stayed.

"In my mind, had he been in jail where he was supposed to be, he would not have had access to kill my son," said Malinda Thomas, Bryant's mother. "My son would still be here with us. He lost his life senselessly. This young man [Rice] stalked him down and killed him, killed an innocent man [Lavar-King Reid], and almost killed a young lady."

Investigators learned that Rice and Bryant had a falling out after the 2017 aggravated robbery case, charges say. Rice made disparaging comments about Bryant on social media as recently as September 2022. Then the two crossed paths at a gas station Feb. 15. Rice followed Bryant to an apartment on Colfax Avenue, where Lavar-King Reid lived.

Rice unloaded 16 rounds of gunfire at Bryant, who was in his car along with the woman who was struck in the chest but survived. Gunfire struck Lavar-King Reid when he was outside in front of his apartment. He ran and a blood trail led officers to an apartment one block to the east where he died at the scene.

"You can't even walk outside your house and not get murdered. It's ridiculous," said Lavar-King Reid's mother, Marlena King. "I'm glad that they got him off the streets."

King said during the trial it was revealed that Rice was searching "Khalil Bryant" online within an hour of the shooting.

"This is a complete monster," King said.

Rice also faces three felony counts of criminal sexual conduct for the alleged December 2021 rape of a woman in St. Cloud. The case is pending. Prosecutors there charged Rice after the murder case was lodged against him and had no prior knowledge that he was accused of a double homicide, said Chad Perius, assistant criminal division chief of the Stearns County Attorney's Office.

In Hennepin County, Rice was indicted on three counts of first-degree murder, three counts of second-degree murder and prohibited person in possession of a firearm, a felony. He pled not guilty.

Jury selection began March 5 and testimony spanned about a week. Rice was the last to testify. "And he made a fool of himself," Thomas said, adding that Senior Assistant County Attorney Patrick Lofton "did phenomenal. He tore him to shreds."

"I feel like one of the lucky ones, all the care and time that went into this case, I cannot thank them enough," Thomas said.

Rice was found guilty on all counts and will be sentenced April 11. His attorney did not respond to requests for comment.

The mothers grieving the loss of their sons said they were strangers before the trial.

"This is an extended family now," King said. "They have really truly been there."