Enrique Davila: Minnesota man pleads guilty in graduation party shooting that killed 14-year-old boy

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: A Minnesota man has pleaded guilty to charges related to a shooting that happened at a 2021 graduation party, and killed a 14-year-old boy.

26-year-old Enrique Lucio Davila, of St Paul, pleaded guilty on Friday, February 23 to aiding and abetting second-degree unintentional murder without intent and second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon as per reports by Fox News.

What happened at the 2021 graduation party? 

In 2021, authorities received a 911 call containing the urgent plea "Help me," followed by the sound of multiple individuals screaming before the call was disconnected. Subsequent 911 calls from the same location reported a victim of a shooting.

Upon police arrival shortly after 10:45 pm, they found approximately 30 to 40 individuals gathered for a nearby graduation celebration. Witnesses reported hearing gunfire originating from both a dark-colored and a white SUV.

At the time, police confirmed that multiple houses in the vicinity of the 6100 block of Edgewood Avenue had been struck by gunfire, but aside from the tragic death of the boy, no further injuries were reported.

An investigation into the shooting at that time referenced incidents in nearby Maplewood and Oakdale where the same two vehicles were believed to be involved. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) was assisting in the investigation.

Davila pleaded guilty to his crime

Davila, a resident of St Paul, entered a guilty plea on Friday to aiding and abetting second-degree unintentional murder. Pursuant to a plea agreement, Davila is slated to receive a 20-year prison sentence upon his sentencing scheduled for May 3rd, the CBS news reported. 

Demaris Hobbs-Ekdahl tragically lost his life on June 5, 2021, while seated in the backseat of a car during a gun battle, which reportedly involved his stepfather.

As a result of their participation in the gunfight, the stepfather and another individual are presently in custody. Approximately thirty individuals were in attendance at the graduation celebration when over forty bullets were reportedly fired, causing alarm among both vehicles and residences in the vicinity.

Earlier, Fox 9 spoke to the mother of a 16-year-old Tartan High School Student who was at the graduation party, and is now "very shaken up."

"She’s going to a graduation party. This stuff shouldn’t be happening. I was very scared…" Melinda said. "Terrified, I mean terrified."