Dakota County prosecutors have filed murder charges against a 17-year-old St. Paul boy who allegedly fired the shot that killed a 19-year-old man outside an Inver Grove Heights movie theater.
Trashaun Nij Morris on Monday was charged as an adult with two counts of second-degree murder and one count of third-degree murder in connection with the March 24 killing of Billy Ray Robles, a rapper who was shot in the parking lot of AMC Showplace 16 following a fight between two gangs after they stepped off a party bus.
Morris was previously charged with attempted murder, as well as first-degree riot and second-degree assault.
The upgraded murder charges follow a decision Friday by Dakota County District Court Judge Joseph Carter to certify Morris to stand trial as an adult.
Morris made his first court appearance on the new charges Monday, and Judge Richelle Wahi set bail at $500,000 without conditions, $350,000 with conditions. Morris remained jailed Monday night.
His next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 18.
Robles died of a gunshot wound to his chest. Evidence from the scene shows multiple guns were fired, and investigators have spent months trying to determine who fired the fatal shot. In a criminal complaint, prosecutors cite forensic analysis of spent casings and witness statements as why it was Morris.
In May, two 16-year-old St. Paul teens were sentenced for their roles in the killing after pleading guilty to first-degree riot.
Samson Chu received a five-year stayed juvenile prison. In exchange for the guilty plea, charges of attempted murder and second-degree assault were dismissed. Evidence shows that Chu fired a gun, but not the shots that killed Robles, according to prosecutors.
Daunte Maurice Martin was given a 48-month sentence, which was stayed until age 21.
According to a criminal complaint, the party bus left the parking lot of AMC Showplace 16 on Bishop Avenue and drove around the metro area. Some of the passengers were members of what were described as “east side” and “west side” groups, which argued throughout the night.
When the bus returned to the parking lot around 1:30 a.m., the nearly 50 partygoers filed out of the bus. At some point, a fight broke out on the stairs of the bus. Someone was punched in the face.
One witness told investigators that he and Robles and other teens chased after members of the east side group.
Another witness said he saw a person from the east side group, known as “Tre Tre,” shoot toward the west side group, according to the charges.
Robles had attended Humboldt High School, where he played football and baseball. In YouTube videos dating back to 2016, Robles can be seen rapping under the moniker BillyThaKidd, often about growing up in poverty in St. Paul, marijuana and gun violence.