John Edmondson, 52, charged in St. Paul celebration of life double fatal shooting
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- A 52-year-old man is charged with murder in connection to the fatal shooting of two people at a celebration of life event in St. Paul last week.
John Edmondson of St. Louis Park faces two counts of second-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder while committing a felony. He was charged in Ramsey County on Friday.
Witnesses at the scene on Feb. 25 said there was an argument in a parking lot at 500 Dale Street North after the event. One witness said they overheard an argument "possibly about working with the police and snitching," court documents say.
When the witness went outside, they saw Edmondson pull out a gun and shoot Larry Jiles Jr. "point blank" in the head and neck, the complaint says. Jiles, who was known as "Chef Hot Hands," had catered the event. Edmondson then shot from his hip six or seven more times, hitting 37-year-old Troy Kennedy.
In all, four witnesses identified Edmondson as the shooter. One had known Edmondson since he was a teenager, and said that Kennedy was Edmondson's cousin.
Kennedy was taken to the hospital, where he died. Jiles died at the scene. The medical examiner determined their manners of deaths to be homicides. Three other people were shot that night.
Edmondson has prior felony convictions for aggravated robbery in the first degree and murder in the second degree. He was arrested on Thursday and made his first court appearance on Friday morning.
RELATED: Grieving family shares memories of Larry Jiles Jr., aka Chef Hot Hands
