Mankato Murder Suspect Pleads Guilty to Second-Degree Murder

Mankato, MN (MinnesotaNow) - A guilty plea was entered today in a southern Minnesota murder case.

Murder Charge Reduced Under Plea Agreement

Twenty-four-year-old A'quan Kaishaid Laurence Thornton appeared before a judge in Blue Earth County District Court this afternoon and admitted to a second-degree murder charge in exchange for the dismissal of a first-degree murder charge. He is scheduled to be sentenced in October.

Get our free mobile app

Investigators Identified Multiple Possible Motives

Thornton was accused of fatally shooting 27-year-old Muridi Hassan Hussein in November of last year. The criminal complaint indicates that an act of vandalism, a debt involving vape cartridges, and possibly disputes involving an ex-boyfriend may have been factors in the deadly incident.

Court Documents Detail Deadly Mankato Shooting

Court documents say Mankato will will police were originally dispatched in response to a 911 call from a woman who reported that someone had threatened her and slashed the tires on her vehicle at her apartment complex. At the same time, law enforcement dispatchers were receiving multiple calls reporting shots fired in the same area.

Google

According to the criminal complaint, responding officers found Hussein in the driver's seat of the vehicle suffering from a fatal gunshot wound to the head. The officers also found two passengers inside the vehicle.

The witnesses told police the victim had received a video call from Thornton, during which Thornton threatened to shoot him after the two discussed a debt. The witnesses also reported that Thornton was brandishing a small assault-style weapon during the video call.

Witnesses Reported That Fort and Thorton Opened Fire at Their Vehicle

Court documents filed in the case state that the passengers were with Hussein when they drove to the apartment complex where the woman reported the vandalism and spotted Thornton carrying the gun. The witnesses told investigators that Thornton opened fire on the vehicle after the victim made a U-turn and then drove away, using his hand to press the gas pedal until the vehicle stopped at the location where police found him dead.

Google

Vandalism Report Preceded the Shooting

The criminal complaint says investigators also spoke with the woman who reported the vandalism. She indicated that Thornton was her ex-boyfriend. She said Thornton had received information that someone had damaged her car, and when she went outside to check on the vehicle, she saw the shooting victim drive past and yell threats at her.

The woman told police that Thornton then went outside to check on his vehicle, and when he returned, he was carrying a gun. She stated that Thornton told her Hussein was trying to run them over "and he might have shot him."