10-year sentence for man who fatally shot woman in Apple Valley in 2022

A man who pleaded guilty to shooting his ex-girlfriend outside an Apple Valley residence two years ago will spend 10 years in prison.

Dakota County Judge Timothy McManus on Monday sentenced Willie John Selmon II, 41, for his role in the killing of Michelle McGill on July 10, 2022. The state had sought 261 months after Selmon had pleaded guilty to second-degree murder this year.

Selmon had a long-term relationship with McGill before the couple broke up. On the night of the shooting, Selmon went to the home on the 900 block of Oriole Drive to pick up some items, court records show.

Selmon and another man, Billy Joe Pryor Jr., were in separate vehicles outside the residence. Pryor, McGill’s son, pulled his vehicle next to Selmon’s and told him he had a gun. He then shot Selmon in the face. Selmon fired back, then got out of his car and ran in front of a third car that McGill was in, believing Pryor would stop shooting if he got between Pryor and his mother.

McGill was caught in the crossfire as the men continued to shoot at each other. She suffered 10 gunshot wounds and died at the scene, court records show.

Pryor was charged at the time with felony second-degree assault and possession of a pistol without a permit. He was later charged with second-degree murder, according the Dakota County Attorney’s Office. Pryor’s next court date is set for March 2025.