17-year-old sentenced to 11 years in prison for the killing of Zaria McKeever

Foday Kevin Kamara was sentenced for the death of 23-year-old Zaria McKeever in a bungled plot orchestrated by her ex-boyfriend on Wednesday.

Kamara was only 15 when he fatally shot McKeever inside her Brooklyn Park apartment on Nov. 8, 2022.

However, despite his age at the time of the murder, he was charged and tried as an adult.

Kamara was initially offered a two-year plea deal by Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, which sparked an outcry and prompted Governor Walz to reassign the case to the state Attorney General’s Office.

McKeever’s aunt, Virginia Taylor, says any excuse that Kamara was too young to know better is garbage.

“He had plenty of time to think about his actions. He had plenty of time to remove himself from the situation,” Taylor said.

Kamara will serve the first part of his term at a juvenile facility and then will be transferred to an adult program when he turns 18.

Erick Haynes, McKeever’s ex-boyfriend and the father of her young child, was sentenced to life in prison last month for orchestrating her murder.

As for Kamara, his legal team said he is sorry for what he’s done and is prepared to serve his time.

“He has sincere remorse for what he’s done and the pain he’s caused the McKeever family, and he’s getting ready to embark on a time when he will serve his time and do well on the other end,” his attorney Michael Holland said.