A Day of Hours: The Violence That Followed a Bail Release in Hennepin County

Brooklyn Center, MN

On Monday, February 23, 2026, a chain of events unfolded across north Minneapolis and Brooklyn Center with a speed and brutality that left two young cousins dead, a grandmother and four children traumatized, and a region once again confronting urgent questions about public safety, bail, and mental health.

By nightfall, Eddie Darren Duncan, 23, the man authorities say shot and killed two of his cousins inside a north Minneapolis home, was himself dead after an exchange of gunfire with officers in a busy retail corridor near Brookdale.

What happened in the span of roughly three hours has since been pieced together through statements from the Minneapolis Police Department, the Brooklyn Center Police Department, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office, and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, as well as court records and jail logs.

The result is a timeline that now anchors a widening public debate.

Shortly after 3:30 p.m., officers with the Minneapolis Police Department responded to a home in the 4200 block of Irving Avenue North.

Inside, they found two people dead from apparent gunshot wounds.

The medical examiner later identified them as:

• Xavier Vincent Marquis Barnett, 14
• Akwame Davron Shaquelle Stewart, 23

Authorities have said the two were Duncan’s cousins and brothers.

According to police, four additional children between the ages of 7 and 10 and the victims’ grandmother were inside the home at the time of the shooting. They were not physically harmed.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said Duncan was “well-known to police,” but emphasized there is no evidence the victims were involved in the prior case that had brought Duncan into custody days earlier.

A Bail Release Hours Earlier

Jail records confirm Duncan was released from the Hennepin County Jail at approximately 12:41 p.m. on February 23, just hours before the killings.

He had been arrested February 15 on a warrant connected to a May 17, 2025 incident in which Robbinsdale police attempted a traffic stop on Highway 100. According to the warrant, Duncan allegedly fled at speeds between 70 and 90 miles per hour, crashed, and ran from the scene.

Officers later reported finding a Glock handgun modified with an auto sear device and an extended magazine in the vehicle.

Under Minnesota Statute § 609.67, possession of a machine gun, trigger activator, or machine gun conversion kit is generally a felony offense. Federal authorities, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, classify such conversion devices as machine guns under federal law.

At a February 20 court appearance, Judge Julia Dayton Klein set bail at $70,000 without conditions or $35,000 with conditions. Court records show Duncan posted the $35,000 conditional bond through Midwest Bonding LLC.

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office later issued a public statement defending the bail structure.

The office said it noted a public safety risk and requested bail at $70,000 or $35,000 with conditions, higher than typically sought in similar cases. The judge adopted that request.

Minnesota’s Constitution provides a right to bail in most cases. Once bond was posted under the conditions set by the court, Duncan was legally released.

A Pending Competency Evaluation

Newly surfaced court documents add another layer.

During the February 20 hearing, the judge ordered a psychological evaluation to determine whether Duncan was competent to participate in legal proceedings.

• A forensic navigator was appointed.
• The evaluation was scheduled for March 24, 2026.
• Investigators are reviewing social media posts in which Duncan allegedly made erratic statements, including referring to himself as “god.”

The competency review had not yet occurred at the time of his release.

Under Minnesota law, a pending mental competency evaluation does not automatically preclude bail if constitutional conditions are met.

The Confrontation in Brooklyn Center

Roughly 25 minutes after Minneapolis officers were dispatched to the homicide scene, Brooklyn Center police received reports at approximately 3:55 p.m. of a man waving a handgun near businesses in the 5500 to 5600 blocks of Brooklyn Boulevard, near IHOP and Cub Foods.

Officers with the Brooklyn Center Police Department responded.

Authorities say officers encountered Duncan and an exchange of gunfire followed. Duncan was struck and transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

No officers were reported injured.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is leading the investigation into the officer-involved shooting, as is standard in Minnesota. Officers involved were placed on administrative leave. Police have said they were wearing body cameras, and the footage is under review.

The Timeline

The Questions That Remain

The tragedy now sits at the intersection of several systems:

• Constitutional bail rights
• Judicial discretion
• Prosecutorial risk assessment
• Mental health evaluation timelines
• Illegal firearm modification enforcement

Officials have not yet released body camera footage or full forensic details from either shooting.

For the family of Xavier Barnett and Akwame Stewart, the constitutional debate is secondary to the loss. For the community, the sequence of hours between release and homicide is certain to intensify scrutiny of how courts weigh public safety against individual rights.

The law allowed bail.

The bond was posted.

And by late afternoon, two cousins were dead, and the suspect lay dying on a commercial sidewalk under flashing lights.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s findings will determine the legality of the officers’ use of force. The broader reckoning, however, may take far longer.

MinneapoliMedia