The indictment says on March 10, after 21 Days of Peace hosted a barbecue, McReynolds and Watkins had clocked out but were still hanging out about 9 p.m. when someone fired about 30 bullets in their direction in the 3600 block between Queen and Penn avenues.
They ran for cover, and McReynolds laid on the ground near the alley and 36th Avenue, pulled out a Ruger pistol and began firing toward a house from which he believed the gunfire originated, the charges say. Watkins returned to the area of the shooting and McReynolds yelled “Grab my chop!” — referring to a semi-automatic weapon that he said was in the back seat of a car. Watkins grabbed a pistol and fired it from near the alley, the indictment says.
Though no other shots were fired at them after the initial hail of gunfire, McReynolds and Watkins fired about 43 rounds in and around the alley and at the intersection of 36th and Queen avenues, prosecutors allege.
Watkins is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, and McReynolds is charged with a felony alleging he gave Watkins the gun knowing the law prohibited him from having one. Watkins was not allowed to possess a firearm because of past convictions, including third-degree drug possession, two convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm and three convictions for second-degree assault. McReynolds has no felony convictions in Minnesota.
The indictment says McReynolds was working as an armed security guard for 21 Days of Peace and carried firearms to protect the violence interrupters, who are normally unarmed. The indictment says McReynolds had a permit to carry a firearm but didn’t have a license to be an armed bodyguard.
Violence prevention workers — commonly referred to as “violence interrupters” — often are former gang members who have criminal backgrounds and use their street smarts and connections to help defuse conflicts before they turn violent. Violence interrupters working for the city aren’t allowed to be armed, but McAfee has said the men were working on a state contract.
