West Side Saint Paul Shooting Leaves Man Dead; Suspect Arrested
Saint Paul police are investigating after a man was shot and killed in the city’s West Side neighborhood late Thursday afternoon.
Just after 3:30 p.m., a 911 caller reported that a man was shot on the 500 block of Stryker Ave. When officers arrived, they found an adult male suffering from a gunshot wound to the torso.
Officers secured the scene and rendered aid, but the victim later died of his injuries at Regions Hospital, police have confirmed.
According to initial dispatch audio reviewed by MN CRIME, the victim was an employee of the tobacco shop at 567 Stryker Ave., though it is still unclear if the shooting took place inside the business.
The Ramsey County Medical Examiner has identified the victim as Abdullah Arif, 48, of Stillwater, Minn. It’s the third homicide in 2023 in Saint Paul.
> TWITTER: Our initial thread on the shooting
The suspected shooter is believed to have fled with three other males in a vehicle—initially described as a dark-grey Dodge Durango—westbound from the area.
Investigators with the police department's homicide unit are currently working to determine what led up to the shooting. Police are looking for any surveillance video that may have captured portions of the incident. If you have any video or information regarding the shooting, call SPPD at 651-266-5650.
UPDATE: On Friday, Feb. 17, the Saint Paul Police Department arrested a suspect in relation to the shooting, police have confirmed. Elias Kareem Hany-Aly, 21, was booked into the Ramsey County Jail on suspicion of murder. Formal charges have not yet been filed.
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