High-Speed Crash Kills Five Minneapolis Women: Son of Ex-DFL Rep. Charged with Murder
A former Minnesota lawmaker’s son faces murder charges after a high-speed crash in Minneapolis killed five young women. 🌐 #News #MinneapolisMN #Minnesota #Crime
MINNEAPOLIS, MN — It was supposed to be just another night in Minneapolis, but for five young women, it was their last. Derrick John Thompson, the son of former St. Paul Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Representative John Thompson, has left a trail of devastation in his wake once again—this time with deadly consequences.
Thompson is now charged with five counts of third-degree murder after a horrific crash on a bustling Minneapolis street took the lives of five innocent women. But what’s even more chilling is that this tragedy could have been prevented.
A History of Reckless Endangerment
This isn’t the first time Thompson’s reckless behavior has put lives at risk. Less than six months before this horrific incident, he had been freed from a California prison. Why was he there? He had led police on a dangerous, high-speed chase that ended in disaster, striking and severely injuring a woman. Despite this, he walked free—only to return to the streets and wreak even more havoc.
Thompson’s rap sheet is filled with dangerous driving offenses, including evading police, felony hit-and-run, and driving after suspension. His Minnesota license was revoked in 2018, but astonishingly, it was reinstated just three months before this deadly crash. How many lives could have been saved if he had never been allowed behind the wheel again?
A Horrific Crash on a Normal Night
On the evening of June 16, 2023, Thompson was back on the roads, driving a black Cadillac SUV—this time at a staggering 95 miles per hour on Interstate 35W. He cut across four lanes of traffic and exited at Lake Street, tearing through the streets of Minneapolis like a missile on a collision course.
As Thompson blew through a red light at the intersection of 2nd Avenue South and East Lake Street, he crashed full speed into a Honda Civic. Inside were five women, ages 17 to 20, simply driving through the city. In an instant, they were gone.
Salma Mohamed Abdikadir, Sahra Liban Gesaade, Sagal Burhaan Hersi, Siham Adan Odhowa, and Sabiriin Mohamoud Ali—all of them young, with their whole lives ahead of them—had their futures stolen in a flash. Their families now face unimaginable grief, knowing that this wasn’t just an accident, but the result of years of reckless behavior allowed to go unchecked.
Why Was He Still Free?
It’s hard not to ask—why was Derrick Thompson, with his long history of dangerous driving and disregard for human life, allowed back on the roads? Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty has made it clear: “The sad fact is that he’s done this before.”
The devastation of that June night wasn’t an isolated incident. It was the culmination of a pattern of criminal behavior that spanned years and states. This time, it cost five young women their lives.
Moriarty noted that Thompson’s extensive history of reckless driving, the destruction he’s caused, and his actions in this incident justify the upgraded charges.
Fleeing the Scene and More Shocking Discoveries
As if the crash wasn’t horrifying enough, Thompson tried to escape. Witnesses reported seeing him flee on foot, abandoning the victims he had just killed. Police found him hiding near a restaurant, where he was arrested, but what they uncovered next was even more disturbing.
Inside the Cadillac SUV, authorities found a loaded Glock pistol with an extended magazine, thousands of fentanyl pills, cocaine, and MDMA. A deadly cocktail of drugs and weapons in the hands of a convicted felon, prohibited from possessing firearms.
It wasn’t just reckless driving that Thompson brought to the streets that night—it was a potential catastrophe waiting to happen.
A Community Left to Grieve—and Fear
As Minneapolis reels from this tragic loss, residents are left wondering: how many more dangerous individuals like Derrick Thompson are roaming the streets? This isn’t just a story about one man’s deadly choices—it’s a story that plays on the deepest fears of every family who wants to feel safe in their community.
Thompson’s actions have shaken the city to its core, leaving five grieving families and a community that knows justice can ever truly be served.
Sign Up for Our Newsletter
We value your feedback! Did you find this article informative, inspiring, or thought-provoking? Leave a comment below and join the discussion. We appreciate your opinion and look forward to hearing from you!
