ST PAUL, Minn. — St. Paul police confirmed that one person is dead following an officer-involved shooting in Belle Plaine Thursday morning, an incident related to the homicide of an artist in Lowertown.
In a press conference Thursday afternoon, St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry said the shooting in Lowertown "shook the entire community" and while it is still under investigation, he said evidence indicates the death of the artist was "extremely random."
"The evidence we have is that this is not something that was derived by a conflict or a fight or anything like that or previous associations with one another, and it seems to be very much random," Henry said.
Wednesday night police were called to the 200 block of E Kellogg Blvd. shortly after 5:15 p.m. on a report of a shooting. When officers arrived, they found a woman with apparent gunshot wounds. Officials say she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Henry said officers identified a vehicle and had photos of the driver, which led them to an address in Belle Plaine. He said as officers started to establish a perimeter and make a plan, the suspect exited the residence with a gun, resulting in an officer-involved shooting. No officers were hurt and the Minnesota Bureau of Apprehension is investigating this incident.
Lowertown Lofts Artists Cooperative confirmed on Facebook that the woman was one of its members and she was shot while working on an art project outside the building.
"This afternoon one of our members was shot and killed while working on an art project outside of our building," the statement reads. "We don’t have a lot of information right now, but we are working closely with the authorities to resolve this tragic event. We ask that our friends and neighbors not speculate about the situation. Our community is in shock and grief as we grapple with the unimaginable."