St. Paul reaches $9.5 million settlement in rec center shooting case

The family of a boy who survived being shot in the head at a rec center in St. Paul, Minnesota, has reached a $9.5 million settlement with the city. 

The City Council Wednesday voted in favor of approving the settlement, which releases the city from any future liability or claims.  

The shooting happened on Jan. 18, 2023, outside the Jimmy Lee Recreation Center across from Central High School. 

The victim, JuVaughn Turner, who was 16 at the time, was shot and critically injured by Exavir Dwayne Binford Jr., a man who worked at the center. 

According to the criminal complaint, about 100 people were in the rec center when the shooting occurred, which followed a fight involving some girls. 

Binford said Turner let his cousin back in to the building after she was ejected, leading to the tragic confrontation.

In December 2023, Binford pleaded guilty to first-degree assault.