Man charged in killing of teen rapper arrested after months on run
St. Cloud PD confirmed that Bernard Bowens, 19, was taken into custody after being found on the 2700 block of North Upton Avenue.
Bowens was charged via warrant with 2nd- and 3rd-degree murder in the death of 17-year-old rapper Layson Davis, who was found shot in the chest in an apartment building at 230 Second Street Northeast just before 3 a.m. on Feb. 2.
Davis' family described the teen's death as "the most unimaginable incapable pain we have ever felt," saying in a GoFundMe campaign: "This is a suffering."
Another victim, a 19-year-old man, Victor Diaz, was also found with critical gunshot wounds and was hospitalized. Another man, Kevon Washington, has been charged with 2nd-degree attempted murder and 1st-degree aiding and abetting aggravated robbery.
Charges say the shooting happened during an alleged gun purchase, with Bowens meeting with Davis and Diaz, only to struggle over the gun. Bowens then grabbed the gun and started running away, getting into a shootout with Davis that resulted in his death.
Washington and two other men then allegedly entered the building and fired at Diaz, critically injuring him.
Bowens is being held in Benton County Jail pending court hearings.
The St. Cloud Times reports that while on the run, Bowens sent a message to the office of Gov. Tim Walz, leaving contact information for his friends, asking for a "one-to-one conversation."
"I'm just a young man that ended up in a bad predicament, you('re) my last chance at hope so please find it in your heart to contact me," he allegedly said.
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