ST PAUL, Minn. — Editor's note: The video above first aired on Sept. 7, 2022.
A Minneapolis man who was acquitted of killing three people in St. Paul has been sentenced to 26 years in prison for kidnapping and wounding a man in the same city just two days before that 2022 shooting.
Antonio Dupree Wright was given consecutive terms at the prosecution's request for kidnapping and attempted murder. Ramsey County District Judge Kelly Olmstead on Monday granted the 42-year-old Wright credit for 488 days already served, the Pioneer Press reported.
Prosecutors argued that Wright shot a 37-year-old man identified in the criminal complaint as DW, who considered Wright to be a close friend, because Wright thought DW was going to snitch on him after overhearing Wright discussing a 2017 killing.
According to the criminal complaint, Wright asked DW to get in a van with him and then pressed a handgun to his head. The driver then told Wright not to shoot DW in the van. Wright eventually chased and shot DW as he tried to run away. Police found DW on the front porch of a home with four gunshot wounds.
A phone message seeking comment after hours on Wednesday from Wright’s lawyer wasn't immediately returned.
Two days after the Sept. 2 shooting of DW, five people were shot in St. Paul, and three of them died. Prosecutors charged Wright with second-degree murder and attempted murder.
Wright, whose eight prior felony convictions included selling drugs, assault, armed robbery, burglary and other crimes, was arrested on Sept. 7 in Chicago, and charged in both shootings.
Wright waived his right to a jury in the triple homicide case, allowing a judge to decide his guilt or innocence. Judge Olmstead, citing insufficient evidence, found him not guilty on those charges.
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
- Add KARE 11+ on Roku here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Roku Channel Store.
- Add KARE 11+ on Fire TV here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Amazon App Store.
- Learn more about the KARE 11+ app for Apple TV in the Apple App Store.
- Learn more about KARE 11+ here.
Watch more local news:
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities and across Minnesota in our YouTube playlist: