Suspect in Minneapolis Hit and Run That Killed 5 Is Son of Former State Representative

The man accused of killing five young women in a horrific high-speed car crash in Minneapolis Friday night has been identified as Derrick Thompson, the son of a controversial former State Representative.

At around 10:00 p.m. Friday, authorities said a police officer witnessed an SUV going at least 95 mph down Interstate 35W. Before the trooper could pursue the vehicle, it took an off-ramp and ran a red light, plowing into the car with the five young women inside, who were all between the ages of 17 and 20. All five, including three who were cousins, died at the scene of the crash.

Thompson allegedly attempted to flee on foot but was apprehended by police at a nearby Taco Bell and taken to the hospital for unspecified injuries. He was arrested and booked into Hennepin County Jail under suspicion of murder Monday afternoon, according to a Minneapolis Police Department spokesperson.

The young women had been preparing for a friend's wedding by applying henna at a local mall just before the crash. Hundreds of mourners attended funerals for the five victims on Monday.

Police are investigating the unauthorized leak of a Metro Transit video showing the moment of the crash that has been viewed more than 640,000 times on Twitter, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

Thompson, 27, has had several prior convictions in Minnesota, including fleeing a police officer, weapon and drug possession, and giving a false name to law enforcement, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

In 2018, when he was 22, Thompson was arrested for a different hit-and-run in Montecito, California. In that incident, police had tried to pursue a vehicle that was driving erratically. Thompson then allegedly struck a pedestrian and crashed into a wall before fleeing.

Johnson is the son of former State Rep. John Thompson, a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party — the Minnesota affiliate of the Democratic Party — who became notorious in his first term for several local controversies.

In 2021, constituents raised questions about his official residence after he reportedly presented a Wisconsin license during a traffic stop. When Minneapolis station KMSP-TV investigated the elder Thompson's residency, it discovered at least four cases of domestic violence reported between 2003 and 2009, including some assaults that allegedly took place in front of young children.

Then in 2022, a St. Paul officer accused Thompson of attempting to bully police who had stopped his daughter on suspicion of impaired driving. Thompson defended his actions, arguing that his daughter was experiencing a mental health crisis at the time.

Thompson lost the 2022 primary election by nearly 80 points. He has not commented on his son's arrest.