22-year-old accused of killing man, injuring woman in St. Paul shooting
A 22-year-old St. Paul man faces charges after a shooting at an apartment building Wednesday afternoon that left a man dead and a woman critically injured.
According to the criminal complaint, police arrived at the scene on the 1500 block of Edmund Avenue around 1:10 p.m. The woman and the man were both taken to the hospital, where the man died. The woman, court documents say, will require more surgeries in the future to address her injuries.
Charges say officers were approached by a man outside the apartment building, who said the 22-year-old had told him that a man had gone into the building and assaulted his girlfriend. The 22-year-old left the apartment, but police learned that he was on the 1200 block of Thomas Avenue, a few blocks away.
The 22-year-old was taken into custody. Officers executed a search warrant and found an AR-platform rifle at the Thomas Avenue residence.
In a post-Miranda interview, the man said he had been dating the woman on and off for three to four years. He said he was staying over at her house when he heard a knock on the door. A man entered, carrying a firearm with an extended magazine, and asked the woman about getting his belongings, charges say.
The 22-year-old said he went to the bathroom to get his AR rifle and heard the woman yell "stop, stop, stop." He said he saw the other man hit the woman with his gun. When the 22-year-old yelled, the toher man pointed his gun at him, charges say. The 22-year-old said he fired and then the man shot five or six rounds back.
In a follow-up interview, the 22-year-old said he didn't know who shot his girlfriend, the complaint says.
Charging documents say there were no bullet holes or fragments on the walls behind where the 22-year-old claimed he stood when the other man fired at him.
The man who died has not been identified.
The 22-year-old faces one count of second-degree murder and one count of second-degree attempted murder, along with one count of assault.
For anonymous, confidential help, people can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224.