Fatal Police Shooting in Belle Plaine Tied to Saint Paul Artist’s Murder
SPPD Chief Axel Henry and Saint Paul Mayor Melvin Carter (via FOX9)
Saint Paul police say a suspect is dead following an officer-involved shooting in Belle Plaine on Thursday morning.
Authorities say around 6:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 26, Saint Paul officers were in Belle Plaine investigating a homicide that took place in Lowertown on Wednesday evening.
The Belle Plaine Police Department confirmed there continued to be police activity that began overnight in the area of Meridian Street South and Prairie Street East.
The Saint Paul homicide victim, an artist who was outside painting a mural, was found dead in an alley outside the Lowertown Lofts Artist Cooperative at 255 E. Kellogg Blvd. on Wednesday.
Homicide suspect, Seantrell T. Murdock
“One of our members was shot and killed while working on an art project outside of our building. 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.” - Lowertown Lofts Artists Cooperative
The homicide victim, Carrie S. Kwok
Saint Paul Police Chief Axel Henry said during a press conference Thursday afternoon outside police headquarters that the Lowertown homicide “literally shook our entire community” and that in his over 30 years of police work, it was “one of the most atypical homicides that I’ve seen,” alluding to further evidence being released on the case in the coming days.
Henry called the shooting a "cold-blooded" random act, and said there's no indication the suspect knew the victim.
Henry said investigation that began immediately after the shooting Wednesday night led to a suspect vehicle, seen leaving the area after the shots rang out. Investigators were able to locate photographs of the suspect driver and the vehicle, which led them to an address on the 100 block of Meridian Street in Belle Plaine. They found the vehicle outside the residence and officers began monitoring the area, with the suspect believed to be inside.
Henry said that a tactical plan was set up for evacuation of the residence but it is still unclear if any other occupants were inside at the time or if they exited previously.
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Around 6:30 a.m. Thursday and before any contact with the suspect, Henry said that he exited the residence on foot and was armed with a handgun. Officers approached the suspect and two officers fatally shot him. Henry did not provide any further details on the incident, including if the suspect may have fired shots or threatened the officers with the firearm. There were no other injuries reported.
A LifeLink helicopter transported the suspect to Hennepin Healthcare, where he later died, authorities have confirmed.
“This murder that took place in our city which led us to be talking about this officer-involved shooting today has all kinds of hallmarks and flags that I think are going to come out in the coming days that we as a state and as a country need to start taking more seriously,” Henry said outside SPPD headquarters Thursday afternoon.
“We have rules and regulations both on the state and federal level that talk about what we need to do about who can have guns, talk about the kind of mental health we need to have to possess firearms or levels of intoxication. It is important that we recognize these flags and that we make sure that when people are in crisis, in distress, they’re dealing with hard things, that we take those things seriously. As the evidence comes out in the next few days, I hope that we use this as an opportunity to really revisit how serious we are as a state and as a country about the types of violence that have become all too common in our country,” Henry said.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is now leading the investigation into the officer-involved shooting.
Wednesday’s homicide marked the 19th of 2024 in Saint Paul.
Family members identified the suspect fatally shot by officers as 29-year-old Seantrell Tyreese Murdock. KSTP-TV reports that Murdock was a father of four. A search of court records in Minnesota reveals Murdock had a slew of prior convictions, including for first-degree burglary, receiving stolen property and fleeing a peace officer. He has not yet been officially identified as the suspect by the BCA.
Murdock was ordered to be civilly committed last year and suffered from bipolar and schizoaffective disorders, according to court documents. The commitment order was apparently stayed in February 2023 and the order was dismissed in August 2023, though further details on that case have not yet been disclosed.
UPDATE | Friday, Sept. 27: Authorities have identified the homicide victim as Carrie Shobe Kwok, 66, of Saint Paul. She was reportedly kneeling in the street and working on an art project when police say Murdock fatally shot her. Kwok was an artist who specialized in textiles, described by friends as a “really sparkly person” who used her work to help others.
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