In connection with the death of Trinity Ottoson-Smith, a man has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. The little girl was killed when she was hit by a stray bullet while jumping on a trampoline at her friend’s birthday party.

According to a news release from the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, Dpree Shareef Robinson, 20, entered his guilty plea on March 6 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He faces 37 1/2 years in prison for the child’s murder in May 2021.

Trinity was playing with friends and enjoying the outdoors, according to a press release from Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty. Moriarty stated that Robinson’s actions stunned the city, but she is relieved that his admission of guilt provides some closure for Trinity’s family and the community.

According to the criminal complaint, Robinson fired at a house from a nearby alleyway, and one of those shots struck Trinity as she bounced on a trampoline with friends in a backyard. The incident was a gang-related drive-by shooting, according to police, and Trinity and her friends were caught between Robinson and his intended victims.

Robinson had been threatening a rival gang member who lived in the house where the girl was shot.

The shooter claims he was “confused” after the incident, wondering if he was the one responsible for the little girl’s death, and did not turn himself in. After identifying his vehicle on security footage, police were able to apprehend him. Cell phone records also linked the man to the area on the day of the shooting.

Trinity was transported by ambulance to North Memorial Health Hospital, where she received two weeks of intensive care before succumbing to her injuries.