Dennis Edmondson Charged In Fatal Shooting Of 18-Year-Old Lavonte Love

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - A 37-year-old St. Paul man has been charged in connection to Sunday evening's fatal shooting of 18-year-old Lavonte Baymond Love.

Dennis Edmondson faces four felony counts in Ramsey County, including second-degree murder.

According to the criminal complaint, the incident started around 8:40 p.m. at a gas station on the 700 block of Arcade Street in St. Paul. Police spoke to a woman who said she was at the gas station with her friend, who approached a man - identified as Edmondson - to try to sell him clothes.

Edmondson allegedly pulled out a gun and told the friend that he would "shoot" her, before got into his Ford Taurus and drove away.

When the Taurus was at the intersection of Seventh Street East and Mounds Boulevard, the woman said she saw Edmondson holding a handgun outside of his window. A red Jeep had pulled up next to the Taurus, and the woman said she heard multiple gunshots. Then, a group of five juveniles got out of the Jeep and started screaming. The woman went up to the Jeep and saw Love suffering from a gunshot wound. She pulled him out of the car and started performing CPR.

When officers arrived at the scene, they found .40 caliber casings and .22 caliber casings on the road.

The complaint goes on to say that police interviewed a 15-year-old boy who was in the back of the Jeep during the shooting. He said they had all gone to the gas station, and as they were driving away, a man was pointing a gun at them out of the window of his car. The boy's brother yelled "Get down! Get down!" and Edmondson allegedly started shooting at the Jeep. He then drove away. The boy said he didn't know why there were .22 casings inside the Jeep because his head was down.

Police then found that the owner of the Taurus was in a relationship with Edmondson, who had a warrant out for his arrest.

When interviewed, the woman said she was at the gas station with Edmondson and his 6-year-old child. After they turned out of the gas station, she said a Jeep sped past them, "driving crazy." Both cars stopped at the light, and the driver of the Jeep allegedly rolled down the window and spat out of the car.

They came to another light, and Edmondson yelled at the people in the Jeep. She said Edmondson allegedly shot first "because they thought the people in the Jeep were going to shoot at them."

Edmondson was arrested by a SWAT team on Monday. Officers found a .40 caliber handgun in a bag with his name on it.

Love was taken to Regions Hospital on Sunday evening and was pronounced dead a short time later. His death was ruled a homicide.

Edmondson faces 40 years in prison for the second-degree murder charge alone.

A GoFundMe has been set up for Love's family, which you can find here.