40-year term for killer who shot man on Minneapolis sidewalk late at night

A 27-year-old man on Monday received a 40-year term for shooting and killing his victim on Valentine’s Day last year.

Dominick Ramone Thomas Kirkland was sentenced in Hennepin County District Court after pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in connection with the Feb. 14, 2024, shooting death of Samuel T. Yeager, 47, of Minneapolis.

With credit for time in jail since his arrest, Kirkland is expected to serve about 26 years of his term in prison and the balance on supervised release.

The County Attorney’s Office noted that the sentence was an upward departure from the presumptive term of 25½ years under state sentencing guidelines.

The Medical Examiner’s Office said Yeager “had three gunshot wounds to the rear of his body,” the criminal complaint read, which also noted that Kirkland kept shooting after his victim was down on the pavement.

According to the criminal complaint:

Gunfire shortly after 1 a.m. on Feb, 14, 2024, near the intersection of W. Broadway and N. Emerson Avenue drew police to the scene.

The officers found Yeager on the sidewalk with multiple gunshot wounds to his neck and elsewhere. He died at the scene.

A witness told police he saw a female driver of unknown age in an SUV drop off a man and then pull up to Yeager as he was walking. The man, later determined to be Kirkland, ran up to Yeager and shot him. Kirkland got back in the SUV and fled.

Surveillance video in the area corroborated the witness’ account and also revealed the Kirkland shot Yeager once, sending his victim to the sidewalk. Kirkland then shot Yeager again.

The video captured the SUV’s license plate, and police spotted the SUV driver and Kirkland shortly after the shooting walking near the vehicle, which was parked about 1½ miles to the southwest in the 700 block of Oliver Avenue N.

She admitted to police that she was driving when Yeager was shot and identified Kirkland as the gunman. She said the two men were fighting the previous day.

She said Kirkland vowed to kill Yeager. She said she replied that he should not go through with it.

She said Kirkland made her drive to Broadway and Emerson, where Kirkland got out. She said she drove to were Yeager was to warn him but not in time.