Man Charged In Connection To Shooting At St. Paul Gas Station
ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- A Twin Cities man is facing felony charges in connection to a shooting Wednesday night at a St. Paul gas station.
Thaddeus Antoine Johnson, 39, is charged with dangerous discharge of a weapon, illegally possessing a firearm, and receiving stolen property, court documents filed in Ramsey County show.
According to a criminal complaint, St. Paul police responded around 7 p.m. to a report of multiple shots fired at the Holiday gas station at 629 Rice Street in the city's Capitol neighborhood. While officers were driving to the scene, they learned that a man with gunshot wounds had driven himself to Regions Hospital.
That man, who is expected to survive, told police that he was at the gas station with Johnson. When Johnson went into the store, he said, an SUV pulled into the station and someone inside the vehicle shot him.
After realizing he'd been hit, the man immediately took the car he and Johnson were using and drove to the hospital. He said he tried to yell at Johnson, but said that Johnson likely didn't hear him.
Witnesses reported to police that the man was shot, Johnson came out of the gas station brandishing a semi-automatic handgun, which he fired at two other vehicles parked at the gas station.
After firing several shots, Johnson walked away from the gas station and threw his gun in a dumpster, surveillance video showed. Police arrested Johnson shortly after.
Investigators say the gun Johnson tried to hide was stolen out of Superior, Wisconsin. According to prosecutors, Johnson is ineligible to carry a gun due to previous drug convictions.
If convicted of the gun possession charge, Johnson faces up to 15 years in prison.