MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A teen accused in two separate deadly shootings in 2024 in Minneapolis is now facing murder charges as an adult.
Teen charged as an adult
What we know:
Ashawn Willis, now 18, faces murder charges in two separate shootings in 2024 that both left victims dead.
A judge has ordered Willis to stand trial as an adult in both cases.
A man is in the hospital after police say he was shot in the head in Minneapolis while his two children were in the car.
March 2024 shooting
The backstory:
In the first case, Willis is accused of shooting a man who was found seriously injured at George Floyd Square on March 15, 2024.
The victim was found shot, lying on the ground next to a vehicle at 38th and Chicago. He was rushed to the hospital with a gunshot wound to the head.
The victim survived for two months before dying at the hospital on May 31.
Dig deeper:
Investigators determined the shooting had actually occurred about three blocks south of George Floyd Square at Chicago Avenue and East 41st Street.
The victim's girlfriend, who was in the victim's car with the couple's two children, said the victim had agreed to sell marijuana to a group of four people. But when they met up for the sale, Willis instead robbed and shot the victim.
Police were able to identify one of the people in the group, who in turn identified Willis as the gunman. The shooting apparently happened in front of Willis' home. According to the second witness, Willis' grandmother came out of the house after the shooting and yelled: "Ashawn, I know you didn't just do that."
Willis was only 16 years old at the time of the shooting.
November 2024 shooting
What we know:
Months later, Willis was accused of shooting another man near the Full Stop gas station on Lowry Avenue North near Logan Avenue North.
Officers found the victim with a gunshot wound to his back on November 25, 2024. The victim, later identified as 23-year-old Hussanee Abdul-Malik Harris, was rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Police say surveillance video showed Willis attacking Harris outside the gas station, and shooting Harris as he tried to run for safety inside the gas station.
Officers say it appears the shooting stemmed from a disagreement between another suspect in the shooting and the victim over drugs.
Willis turned 17 between the shootings.
The Source: This story uses information pulled from Hennepin County court documents.