This weekend, the city of St. Paul, Minnesota, became the bleak center of a tragic and violent 48-hour interval. On Friday, three people were shot, followed by the weekend’s grim climax on Saturday, when five additional people were shot in the parking lot of Kings Crossing by Episcopal Homes.
Community members witnessed the shooting after a celebration of life memorial service. At the scene, one man was pronounced dead, with the other man dying at the hospital. Three additional victims were taken to area hospitals; one man is in critical condition, one female victim is stable, and a third woman is treated at United Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
St. Paul’s Mayor Melvin Carter held a press conference in the aftermath of the shooting, remarking that the weekend violence is “heartbreaking.” Episcopal Homes CEO Marvin Plakut reported that a quarrel in the parking lot erupted before shots were fired. The Ramsey County Medical Examiner will begin autopsies for the victims to positively identify them and determine the cause of death.
The weekend of deaths began with a shooting at the Wellstone Center following a memorial service for a victim of a fatal stabbing at a local high school. Three teenage males were taken to the hospital with wounds that appeared to be non-fatal. Governor Tim Walz expressed his communal grief and regret over the incidents in a tweet, stating that the gun violence in St. Paul over the weekend was “unacceptable” and added his commitment to combat shootings with the aim of public safety.
In light of the weekend’s events, the city is actively working to increase public safety funding and address gang activity in hopes of deterring further gun-related deaths. Gun violence can be prevented, a belief held by many of St. Paul’s citizens who regard a stronger sense of community as an effective tool to aid the prevention of gun violence.