Minneapolis violence prevention workers indicted after March BBQ shooting

Yahoo

07-06-2025

The Brief
Two workers with the "21 Days of Peace" violence prevention group are now facing gun charges themselves.
Kashmir McReynolds, 35, is accused of aiding and abetting possession of ammo/firearm and reckless discharge of a firearm.
Alvin Watkins Jr., 50, is charged with possession of ammo/firearm after being convicted of a violent crime and reckless discharge of a firearm.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Two members of a Minneapolis violence prevention organization, run by Rev. Jerry McAfee and tasked with deescalating conflicts throughout the city, have been federally indicted on weapons charges after one of them was shot following a cookout in March.
What we know
According to an indictment filed on June 5, 2025, Kashmir McReynolds and Alvin Watkins Jr., "recklessly fired approximately 43 bullets into the dark in a residential neighborhood in north Minneapolis" on March 10.Court documents say that McReynolds fired one gun, while Watkins fired another, despite a core tenant of the group being they are supposed to remain unarmed in their efforts. Watkins was also prohibited from possessing a firearm due to prior felony convictions.
At around 9:36 p.m. on March 10, McReynolds, Watkins and other community members were attending a BBQ near 36th Street and Penn Avenue North when 30 bullets were shot in their direction – one hitting McReynolds in the neck and torso.
Although he did not see who fired the shots, court documents allege that McReynolds then retaliated by shooting in the general direction they came from.
Following the incident, McReynolds, 35, was charged with aiding and abetting possession of ammo/firearm and reckless discharge of a firearm.
Alvin Watkins Jr., 50, was charged with possession of ammo/firearm after being convicted of a violent crime and reckless discharge of a firearm.
The backstory
21 Days for Peace was contracted by Minneapolis for approximately $1.5 million per year for fiscal 2023 and 2024 for "social equity building and community engagement services."
However, the approval of violence interrupter groups by the Minneapolis City Council has come under scrutiny in recent months by those questioning exactly what they do, and by what metrics they are held accountable for receiving the money that is doled out to them.