Prosecutors say the brothers argued over cleaning a kitchen before the stabbing.
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — A 23-year-old Chicago man was charged with second-degree murder after prosecutors said he fatally stabbed his brother during an argument over cleaning a kitchen at a north Minneapolis home.
Javontae Deshawn Simms was charged May 1 in Hennepin County District Court after the April 30 stabbing on the 3000 block of Girard Avenue North. The case began as a domestic dispute between brothers and ended with one man dead inside the home, police said. Court records list two second-degree murder counts, and Simms was held on $1 million bail before a first court appearance scheduled for May 4.
Minneapolis police were sent to the home at about 3:06 a.m. after a 911 caller reported a stabbing, according to the criminal complaint. Officers found the victim unconscious on the floor just inside the door. A woman later identified as his girlfriend was holding a cloth against a wound under his left armpit, near the left side of his chest. Officers and emergency medical responders tried lifesaving measures until paramedics took over. The man was pronounced dead at the scene at 3:32 a.m. The Minnesota Star Tribune identified him as 22-year-old Jron Bradley Simms.
The complaint says the victim’s girlfriend told officers she and Jron Simms had just made food and were upstairs eating when Javontae Simms came into the room. She said he was upset because his brother had not cleaned up the kitchen. Prosecutors said Jron Simms did not argue, and Javontae Simms went downstairs before returning. Another woman in the home told investigators she heard Javontae Simms warn his brother, “if you don’t start cleaning up after yourself, it’s going to be an issue between you and me.” Moments later, the complaint says, the brothers were in a physical struggle.
Investigators said Javontae Simms returned with a knife, pushed his brother and used an insult before the altercation turned violent. Both women told police that after the struggle, Javontae Simms was standing in the kitchen with a bloody knife in his hand. One witness said she heard Jron Simms say that his brother had stabbed him. The girlfriend applied pressure to the wound while emergency help was called. Police later recovered a knife from the kitchen area, according to summaries of the complaint. The filing does not say that Jron Simms was armed when the stabbing happened.
Officers searched the house and found Javontae Simms hiding in the basement, police and court records said. One account said he was under a staircase and using a wooden panel to conceal himself. He was arrested at the home. Police said he also had apparent non-life-threatening injuries believed to be connected to the altercation. He was taken to Hennepin Healthcare for evaluation before being booked into the Hennepin County Jail. Authorities did not report any other injuries in the home. Homicide investigators and forensic personnel worked the scene after the arrest.
After being read his Miranda rights, Simms agreed to speak with investigators, according to the complaint summary. Police said he acknowledged confronting his brother about cleaning the house. He first told investigators he could not remember what happened and said he had blacked out. He later gave different versions, including a claim that he meant to fake a stabbing and that his brother ran into the knife. Another summary of the complaint said Simms later admitted he grabbed the knife first and stabbed his brother, and that he told investigators the victim was not armed.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara called the killing a heartbreaking outcome for the family. “When violence occurs between siblings, it leaves lasting trauma that extends far beyond those directly involved,” O’Hara said. “Our thoughts are with the family as they face an unimaginable loss.” Police said the early investigation pointed to a dispute inside the home rather than a broader public threat. They also said homicide investigators were still working to determine the full sequence of events that led to the stabbing.
The charges include second-degree murder with intent, not premeditated, and second-degree murder without intent while committing a felony, according to court records. Under Minnesota law, a conviction for second-degree murder can carry a sentence of up to 40 years in prison. The complaint is an allegation, and Simms is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. Early court reports did not list an attorney for him. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner was expected to determine the official cause and manner of death.
The address is in north Minneapolis, where police first described the incident as a domestic dispute between brothers. Officers said one brother was dead and the other was in custody within hours of the call. Local reports said the death was among the city’s homicides so far this year. The charging documents focus on the kitchen dispute, witness statements, the knife, the basement hiding place and Simms’ alleged statements after his arrest.
The next steps in the case include continued court proceedings in Hennepin County District Court and further review by prosecutors, police and the medical examiner. As of Tuesday, the case stood as a charged homicide, with bail set at $1 million and the investigation continuing.
Author note: Last updated May 5, 2026.