Deshaun Hill honored with fourth-annual balloon launch
Family and friends of Deshaun Hill Jr. wore sweatshirts with his picture on the fourth anniversary of his death. Photo by Jai’Lynn Flannigan
By Clarence Ransom and Azhae’la Hanson, North News
Friends and family arrived at Penn Avenue and Golden Valley Road in North Minneapolis on Feb. 9 to commemorate Deshaun Hill Jr. on the fourth anniversary of his murder.
Many people who knew Hill or wanted to show their support attended the event wearing memorabilia in his honor. They released balloons reflecting his interests: green balloons for his favorite color, blue balloons for North High School, and balloons shaped like the number 9, the number he wore as quarterback of the Polar football team.
“I feel like it's over now, and I have the chance to finally heal,” Hill’s mom, Tuesday Sheppard, said at the balloon release.
Hill’s killer, Cody Fohrenkam, pleaded guilty to one count of intentional second-degree murder Feb. 3 after taking a plea deal. Fohrenkam shot Hill as he walked home from school, which let out early for a student protest over the killing of Amir Locke in 2022.
In the same breath, Sheppard said she was dissatisfied with the Office of Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarity over the plea deal with Fohrenkam. This was echoed by Hill’s former football coach, Charles Adams.
“After all this time, just for (Fohrenkam) to plead guilty and admit to what we all know he did, I just think it was a cheap shot, a way of opening up the wounds in our community and with his family,” said North High School head football coach Charles Adams. “I love that kid, and I miss him so much.”
Forenkam was originally convicted in 2023 and sentenced to 38.5 years. However, his guilty verdict was overturned by the Minnesota Court of Appeals, which ruled that videotaped statements used to convict him were illegally obtained.
Forenkam remained in custody until his scheduled retrial in February, when he agreed to a plea deal with Moriarty's office. He will be officially sentenced on March 2, with the years he’s already spent in custody added to his new 28-year sentence.
“Negotiating a homicide case is difficult because no amount of time will ever bring Deshaun Hill Jr. back to his family and community,” the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office wrote in a press release. “The plea agreement also ensures that Mr. Fohrenkam cannot appeal any issues that could arise at a second trial.”
Tuesday Sheppard receives a hug at the intersection where her son, Deshaun Hill Jr., was shot and killed in 2022. Photo by Nadia Abdulqadir
The death of Hill has been a headline since he was killed. Headline after headline, family, friends, and community are retraumatized, said Logan Lachermeier, a teammate of Hill.
Lachermeier expressed frustration that he will be remembered for his death rather than the impact of his life.
“We need to remember D-Hill for all the good things that came from him and not just his murder,” Lachermeier said. “He was someone you’d want your kids to be like. He was cool, he was somebody I looked up to and could relate to.”
Hill was considered a rising football star, just a sophomore when he was named starting quarterback. His mom said he had over a hundred emails from different colleges trying to get him to play for them.
“We were supposed to be watching him on TV right now,” Sheppard said. “He was that cold at this game.”