A 17-year-old boy was shot dead in his suburban Minnesota town just hours after he posted a photo to Instagram of himself posing with a massive bag of cash. Tyson Michael Goodsell was found dead from a gunshot wound on Saturday after the vehicle he was riding in crashed into a North Mankato townhouse.
Officers were dispatched to the teen's neighborhood around 11pm following reports of gunshots in the area, North Mankato police said. A few minutes later, officers were notified that a white Hyundai sedan had crashed into a townhome about a five-minute drive away from Goodsell's family home. Police found the teen inside the car and immediately began attempted lifesaving measures. He was then taken in an ambulance to nearby Mayo Clinic Health System-Mankato hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, authorities said.
Police said that Goodsell was not shot at random and are investigating his death as a homicide. It is unclear if he was shot before or after the crash. Investigators have not indicated whether the Mankato West High School football player's final Instagram post was a contributing factor to the deadly crime.
Goodsell shared three photos of himself posing with a duffle bag filled with $100 bills on social media Saturday. 'My outfit committed a murder,' he captioned the carousel of images, unaware that they would be his last-ever post. It is unclear if the photos were taken that same day or if Goodsell had the bag of money in his possession at the time of his murder.
A family member told KEYC that roughly one hour before the shooting, the teen had been working a closing shift at the local Papa Murphy's pizza shop. The restaurant closes at 9pm, according to hours listed online. Investigators have not yet revealed specifics about Goodsell's whereabouts between the end of his shift and the shooting. His mother Carissa Weber, however, told The Minnesota Star Tribune that she last spoke with her son around 10pm that evening. He reportedly told her that he wanted to go camping with a friend and she jokingly questioned why he wanted to be in a tent late at night, she said. About an hour later she heard the shots that killed her son ring out, Weber recalled.
On Tuesday, police located a 2010 Chevrolet Impala that they believe to be connected to the crime. But still no arrests have yet been made. 'I would love to see somebody held accountable for my son, but I'm not angry. I think I'm just so sad,' Weber told the newspaper. 'I know what kind of potential he had, and I knew he was going to go places.'
Goodsell's biological father, whom Weber claims was estranged from their son, has also publicly commented on his death. 'Yes my son was shot in the head last night,' Zach Goodsell wrote on Facebook early Sunday morning. 'RIP Tyson GOODSELL ! Wish we could have had that talk man , u know ur daddy loves you!' Zach then spoke directly to his son's killer, writing: 'This dude going to have a hard time in prison and it ain't even gunna be on me . My name holds weight and his a** f****d up! Idk y god keep taking everyone and leaving me !'
Goodsell would have started his senior year at Mankato West High School this upcoming autumn. He played on the school's football team and was looking forward to graduating next year, his mother said. After graduation, Goodsell had planned to 'leave town and be his own person.' In the wake of his death, the teen's loved ones have paid tribute to him by leaving comments on his final Instagram post. 'You were taken too soon, you been missed so much,' one user wrote. 'Love you Tyson, prayers to your family,' another said. One friend added: 'Rest in peace, so many prayers coming your way.'
