6 people arrested in ghost gun-related murder of Anthony Rojas in North St. Paul

6 arrested, 4 charged in Anthony Rojas shooting death

NORTH ST. PAUL, Minn. – Six people have been arrested in connection to a homicide in North St. Paul. 

It was just after 6 p.m. on June 19 when police say they were called to this apartment building on McKnight Road in North St. Paul. 

Witnesses say they saw three people leaving the area carrying bags, then dropping them a short distance away. 

RELATED: How untraceable ghost guns are impacting crime in the Twin Cities

CBS

Officers recovered the bags and inside, found more than a dozen 3D‐printed handguns and three long guns. 

Inside the apartment, investigators found 24-year-old Anthony Rojas dead

They also found two open and empty gun safes, a 3D printer, a money counter, boxes of ammunition, and rifle magazines

According to a search warrant, Rojas was using the 3D printer to create parts for handguns and was using his apartment to facilitate the manufacturing and distribution of firearms, similar to ghost guns recovered by Brooklyn Center police earlier this year

Investigators learned 12 hours before his death that Rojas posted a photo on social media showing thousands of dollars in cash laid out on his bed at his apartment. Police say that money was not recovered.  

Anthony Dabbs/Facebook

RELATED: Ghost gun use in U.S. crimes has risen more than 1,000% since 2017, federal report says

So far police have arrested and charged four people. Octavion Jones, La Vida Martinez and Steven Terry have been charged with second-degree murder.

Terry and his mother, Kimberly Terry, are also facing charges for receipt or possession of a firearm with no serial number.

Police say a 16- and 17-year-old are also expected to be charged later this week. 

WCCO News has reached out to North St. Paul Police, the ATF, and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety to ask more questions about the 3D-printed guns. So far, they have either declined or not responded to our requests. 

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