A Minneapolis man has been handed a four-year prison sentence for firing a gun at motorists in two separate road rage incidents in St. Paul, one of which involved another vehicle with young children inside.
James Allen Ameer Smith, 24, pleaded guilty to two counts of drive-by shooting and was sentenced in Ramsey County District Court on Friday as part of a plea agreement that carried a maximum sentence of 50 months. Four counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon were dropped at the time.
Smith has an open case in Dakota County alleging he waved a gun at another motorist just before his arrest, following a pair of incidents in which drivers fired shots at each other on St. Paul roads.
On October 12th, a driver reported that while traveling on Summit Avenue with two children aged six and nine, their vehicle was struck by a bullet after the driver of a black sedan began tailgating them and then accelerated into oncoming traffic. The driver in the sedan pulled over but then re-entered oncoming lanes, sparking a tense exchange before firing a gun at another passing vehicle, striking it before speeding away.
Just over a month later, a 33-year-old man reported being shot at by another driver on Snelling Avenue and that his car had been damaged by a bullet. He alleged the Nissan's driver began tailgating him, brake-checked them to make space, then pulled alongside, fired a gun and sped off.
Smith was arrested two weeks after the second incident in St Louis Park, where he was wearing an empty gun holster at the time of his arrest. Authorities found spent bullet casings, live ammunition, and a loaded Glock handgun during a search warrant.
When questioned about the incidents, Smith claimed to have no recollection of a road rage incident with the Jeep, saying that if it happened then so be it. However, when informed there were children in the vehicle, he expressed concern for their well-being.
James Allen Ameer Smith, 24, pleaded guilty to two counts of drive-by shooting and was sentenced in Ramsey County District Court on Friday as part of a plea agreement that carried a maximum sentence of 50 months. Four counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon were dropped at the time.
Smith has an open case in Dakota County alleging he waved a gun at another motorist just before his arrest, following a pair of incidents in which drivers fired shots at each other on St. Paul roads.
On October 12th, a driver reported that while traveling on Summit Avenue with two children aged six and nine, their vehicle was struck by a bullet after the driver of a black sedan began tailgating them and then accelerated into oncoming traffic. The driver in the sedan pulled over but then re-entered oncoming lanes, sparking a tense exchange before firing a gun at another passing vehicle, striking it before speeding away.
Just over a month later, a 33-year-old man reported being shot at by another driver on Snelling Avenue and that his car had been damaged by a bullet. He alleged the Nissan's driver began tailgating him, brake-checked them to make space, then pulled alongside, fired a gun and sped off.
Smith was arrested two weeks after the second incident in St Louis Park, where he was wearing an empty gun holster at the time of his arrest. Authorities found spent bullet casings, live ammunition, and a loaded Glock handgun during a search warrant.
When questioned about the incidents, Smith claimed to have no recollection of a road rage incident with the Jeep, saying that if it happened then so be it. However, when informed there were children in the vehicle, he expressed concern for their well-being.
like how can someone put themselves and others in such danger? and to think James Allen Ameer Smith is going to serve only 4 years in prison seems soooo unfair considering the severity of his actions...my heart goes out to that little family, esp with those young kids involved 
. This dude's defense is super sketchy. He's got an open case in Dakota County where he allegedly waved a gun at another driver just before his arrest... and now we're finding spent bullet casings, live ammo, and a loaded Glock at the scene of his own arrest? That doesn't add up 
. And what's with him suddenly expressing concern for the kids involved after being told they were in one of the vehicles that got shot at? It sounds like he's trying to play dumb... or maybe even shift the blame? 
I'm not buying it, you know? This whole thing just feels too convenient. There gotta be more to this story than meets the eye 
The fact that he was wearing an empty holster at the time of his arrest is wild too, it's like he thought he could just get away with it and then just happen to have a gun on him lol 
! He's lucky they dropped those extra charges, he could've gotten 20-30 years easy. And now there's another open case, so we'll have to wait and see if justice gets served 
. I'm still shaking my head about the kids being in that vehicle... poor little souls, they should get some compensation for this trauma 
I cant believe this guy got off easy! He's literally firing guns at people on the road and still managed to get a slap on the wrist? 4 years is NOTHING considering what could've happened if those bullets hit their mark. And what really gets me is when he's asked about the kids in the other car, but then suddenly becomes concerned for them? Like, dude, you're trying to kill people and now you're worried about innocent kids?! It just shows how out of touch some folks are with reality 
This guy's sentence is way too light imo 
. These road rage incidents could've ended so much worse and now people have PTSD from it 
. The fact that he was driving with no kids in his car when the other incident happened doesn't make him look any less guilty 
. And what's up with the empty gun holster? Trying to hide something? 
The system failed him this time, imo.
doesnt seem like he got his priorities straight.