Teen suspect charged in Nudieland mass shooting makes first appearance in adult court Wednesday
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One of two teens charged in the August 2023 fatal mass shooting at Nudieland, a home for punk music shows in Minneapolis, made his first appearance in adult court on Wednesday.
Dominic Burris, 18, faces one charge of aiding and abetting second-degree murder and six counts of felony assault in the shooting that killed one man, 35-year-old August Golden, and injured six other people. Burris pleaded not guilty to the charges.
As Burris walked into the courtroom, he smiled at his parents and younger brother who were seated in the front row. His family declined to comment.
In attendance were also August Golden’s partner Caitlin Angelica and a gunshot victim.
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The judge set his bail at $1 million. His next court date is scheduled for Nov. 26.
The second suspect in the shooting is 18-year-old Cyrell Boyd. A judge has yet to decide whether he should be tried as a juvenile or an adult. His next court date is Nov. 1.
Burris was 17 at the time of the shooting, and his case was originally filed in juvenile court.
Hennepin County Judge Sydnee Woods on Monday certified Burris to stand trial as an adult, citing “several aggravating factors.”
“The fact this is a mass shooting with at least seven gunshot victims, and many other victims present, demonstrates that this conduct is more egregious than other murders and shootings,” the judge wrote. “In addition, Respondents’ use of derogatory epithets prior to the shooting suggests the incident was motivated by the victims’ gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. Finally the incident occurred in the backyard of a private residence.”
Burris’ defense team argued his case should stay in juvenile court because his actions the day of the shooting were committed while he was intoxicated and evidence did not prove he was the primary participant.
They also argued Burris’ history of trauma — including a PTSD diagnosis stemming from alcohol abuse and his numerous placements in child protection — supported an argument for “mental impairment.”
They also recommended placing Burris in a juvenile facility in Red Wing, which serves youth until the age of 21. That means Burris would have 32 months of rehabilitation, which prosecutors argued was “not sufficient for the killing of a person committed during a mass shooting.” Prosecutors also argued he was unlikely to address his needs within 32 months.
“The Court finds two and one-half years is an inadequate punishment for the actions alleged in the Petition — a murder resulting from a mass shooting related to LGBTQ+ bias,” wrote Woods.
Woods ruled in favor of the state’s arguments that Burris had fully participated in the alleged crime, displayed an escalating history of delinquency and was inconsistent with programming he was put into. She also considered Burris’ failure to succeed in prior programming.