Woman killed in St. Paul shooting, marking city's 19th homicide of 2024
ST. PAUL, Minn. — A woman was shot and killed near St. Paul's Union Depot on Wednesday evening.
St. Paul police say they were called to the 200 block of Kellogg Boulevard around 5:18 p.m. They had heard reports of multiple gunshots.
They found a woman suffering from apparent gunshot injuries, police said. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Family members identified the victim as Carrie Marie Kwok.
Lowertown Lofts Artists Cooperative said in a Facebook post that the victim who was shot and killed was a member of the collective. They were working on an art project outside the building at the time of the shooting.
"We don't have a lot of information right now, but we are working closely with the authorities to resolve this tragic event," the cooperative said in a statement. "Our community is in shock and grief as we grapple with the unimaginable."
Thursday morning, police shot and killed the suspect in Belle Plaine. Family identified the man killed by police as 29-year-old Seantrell Murdock.
St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry said the Wednesday night killing was captured by a nearby camera. Police identified a suspect vehicle and got a picture of the driver, Henry said, which led them to Belle Plaine on Thursday morning.
Around 6:30 a.m., the suspect exited a house with a handgun, according to police, at which point two officers shot him. He was taken to Hennepin Healthcare, where he died.
Police are not looking for any other suspects at this point, and Henry described the crime as "extremely random."
The shooting is the city's 19th homicide of 2024. At this time in 2023, there had been 24 homicides in St. Paul.
Sister of victim says she was "a giver"
Julie Shobe says her sister was strong-willed, independent and loved being around her children and grandchildren.
"She was a giver, took care of a lot of people and I love her," Shobe said.
That special bond was taken away from Julie Wednesday afternoon when Kwok was gunned down in broad daylight.
"It doesn't feel real that she's shot," Shobe said. "I don't know why he chose her.. it's terrible."
The randomness of the violent attack has left those who love Kwok empty, but they plan to remember her by how she lived and not how she died.
"Evil won't rule the world," Shobe said. "She loves Jesus, so I'm at peace knowing that she's with Jesus now."
Court documents shed light on suspect
Court documents show Murdock's mother took him to the emergency room last January because he "had access to a firearm and was fearful for her son's safety."
Murdock allegedly told staff he has "visual and auditory hallucinations and paranoia."
In another document, prosecutors argued he should be held at a mental health hospital because he "posed a substantial likelihood of physical harm to self or others."
Instead of committing him, a judge suggested Murdock be allowed to go home if he followed several conditions like keeping his appointments, not using mood-altering chemicals — including alcohol — and taking all his medications.
If he were committed to a hospital, he would not be allowed legally to have a gun.
Murdock had previously been convicted of a felony — first-degree burglary in 2014 — barring him from legally owning a firearm.