Fernando Alvarez pleads guilty to murder, assault in fatal shooting of Jahmari Rice
MINNEAPOLIS -- A second man pleaded guilty Wednesday for his role in the shooting death of 15-year-old Jahmari Rice outside a Richfield school a year ago.
Fernando Valdez Alvarez, 19, pled guilty to second-degree unintentional murder and first-degree assault.
Court documents say Alvarez admitted to shooting and killing Rice and wounding another 17-year-old.
Rice, who had just transferred to South Education Center in Richfield the week prior, was shot along with two others, who ultimately survived. Rice was found lying on the sidewalk outside the school and was taken to Hennepin Healthcare, where he was pronounced dead.
Bundled up, and releasing blue balloons, Rice's friends and family gathered in front of South Education Center Wednesday, including his father, Cortez Rice.
"He was doing everything that he was supposed to do when we sent him out that door to go to school," Cortez said. "He was doing everything. He didn't know these kids that murdered him."
Alfredo Solis, 20, was found guilty in December of assault and acquitted on all other counts - including second-degree murder.
"The first sentence with the 36 months where this dude will be getting out Jan. 31 of next year, it's a smack in the face to us," Cortez said. "And then the fact that we had to go to court today, on the day of my son's first-year angelversary, and see the killer in court, pleading and still not accepting accountability for what he did."
Alvarez faces a maximum sentence of 283 months - just over 23 years - in prison. Rice's father says that's not nearly enough, considering when and where this crime occurred.
"Nobody is safe no where, literally. It's too many guns out here," he said. "We will be pushing for an increase in harsher penalties for school ground shootings and school bus shootings because our kids need to remain safe."
Alvarez is scheduled for sentencing on Feb. 23.
