Suspect in deadly Minnesota crash convicted of federal gun and drug charges

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A federal jury on Friday convicted a Minnesota man accused of causing a 2023 car crash that killed five young women of federal firearm and drug offenses.

Derrick John Thompson, 29, of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, was found guilty of illegal possession of a firearm and fentanyl following a five-day trial. He still faces state charges of third-degree murder and criminal vehicular homicide in connection with a deadly car crash in June of 2023.

Prosecutors said Thompson, driving a black Cadillac Escalade, was speeding on a Minnesota freeway at 95 mph in a 55 mph-speed zone. A state trooper reported observing Thompson abruptly cut across four lanes of traffic to exit the freeway. Thompson then sped through a red light at an intersection at full speed and slammed into another car carrying five women, all of whom were killed.

After police officers searched the Escalade, which Thompson rented about 30 minutes before the crash, they found a bag containing a loaded Glock pistol with an extended magazine, as well as three baggies containing more than 2,000 fentanyl pills. They also found cocaine, fentanyl powder and a digital scale.

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Thompson has multiple prior felony convictions and is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition, prosecutors said.

Matthew Deates, Thompson’s attorney, did not immediately respond to phone messages seeking comment. He told jurors at trial that the guns and drugs belonged to Thompson’s brother, who has not been charged with a crime.

The victims in the crash — Salma Abdikadir, Siham Adam, Sabiriin Ali, Sahra Gesaade and Sagal Hersi — were aged from 17 to 20 years old. They were returning home from having henna applied in preparation for a friend’s wedding. Their deaths sparked sorrow and outage among Minnesota’s sizeable Somali American population.

Court records show Thompson is the son of former state Rep. John Thompson, of St. Paul, who was a sharp critic of police during his one term in office. He no longer serves in the Minnesota Legislature and has yet to publicly comment on the case.

A sentencing hearing for the federal convictions will be scheduled at a later date.