N.D. college football player charged in shooting death
A North Dakota college football player has been charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of a man in south Minneapolis over the weekend.
Hennepin County prosecutors say 21-year-old Cedric Chappell Junior shot and killed 22-year-old Willie James Smith III, of St. Paul. The shooting occurred early Saturday near the Blue Nile Restaurant.
According to the criminal complaint, Minneapolis police responded to a report of shots fired in the area of the restaurant. They found several discharged bullet casings and cars with bullet holes in them.
Smith collapsed after he was shot in the chest, the complaint said. Emergency personnel found Smith dead when they arrived at the scene.
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Police say there had been a fight inside the restaurant that spilled over into a nearby parking lot, and at some point two groups of people began shooting at each other.
Prosecutors say one man was shot in the leg as he tried to run away from the suspect but was able to limp to a nearby fire station.
They also charged Chappell with attempted murder.
Chappell, a wide receiver for Valley City State, had been recruited from the North Dakota School of Science. Chappell played football for Valley City State University in North Dakota.
"It was a big surprise," Jack Denholm athletic director at Valley City State said of the shooting. "It came as a big shock to us."
Chappell, who has lived in south Minneapolis, is being held in the Barnes County Jail in North Dakota. He played football and basketball for Washburn High School in Minneapolis.