18-Year-Old Man Dead In St. Paul Shooting, City's 3rd Homicide In A Week
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – An investigation is underway Monday evening after police say an 18-year-old man was shot and killed in St. Paul.
Police say it's the city's 17th homicide of the year.
Rice Street, a busy thoroughfare through St. Paul's north end, was shut down near Winnipeg Avenue Monday afternoon as police investigated the shooting.
Investigators say someone fired several shots across the street, hitting an 18-year-old man walking on the sidewalk. When police arrived at the scene, the man was inside a nearby grocery store.
"Our officers rendered aid and immediately called for St. Paul fire medics. They responded and, unfortunately, there was nothing they could do to save the man's life. He died inside the store," said Steve Linders, with St. Paul police.
An emotional crowd flooded the block as investigators searched for evidence along a street that normally would be filled with traffic.
"It's sad that one person lost their life. We're lucky, we're fortunate that more people weren't injured or killed," Linders said.
A shooting happened less than a mile away five days ago. This homicide is the city's third in less than seven days.
"We have all hands on deck right now," Linders said.
Police say they're pulling resources from other units to help investigate the deadly crimes.
The number of shootings in the city has risen compared to this time last year.
"It's incredibly taxing and incredibly concerning, and we all as a community need to come together to put a stop to it," Linders said.
Police say they're hoping surveillance cameras in the area will give them a clear picture of how the shooting happened. They're also hoping witnesses come forward with information that can help them find the shooter.
Anyone with information regarding the shooting should call the St. Paul homicide unit at 651-266-5650.