19-year-old sentenced for killing student outside Richfield school

In the second sentencing in as many days related to the killing of a Twin Cities teenager, a 19-year-old received a 23½-year prison term for gunning down one student and critically injuring another outside a Richfield alternative school last year.

Fernando Valdez-Alvarez's sentencing for the killing of 15-year-old Jahmari Kei'Fee Rice again involved the murder of a student-athlete. Rice played football for two seasons at Richfield High School before transferring to South Education Center Academy one day before he was killed by then-18-year-old Valdez-Alvarez on Feb. 1. Eight days later, Minneapolis North High quarterback Deshaun Hill Jr., 15, was shot while walking to the bus stop from school; his killer Cody Fohrenkam was sentenced to 38½ years on Tuesday.

Hill's parents joined Rice's family on Wednesday to show their support; Rice's father attended Fohrenkam's sentencing. The families said their sons are buried right next to each other. The Hills were at Rice's funeral when news broke of their son's killing. Both boys dreamed of making it to the NFL before their lives were cut short.

https://www.startribune.com/19-year-old-sentenced-for-killing-student-15-outside-richfield-school/600255391/