Surveillance Footage Leads to Arrest in Saint Paul Drive-By Killing
The scene of a shooting on November 22, 2024. via SPPD
A Minneapolis man has been charged in connection with a fatal drive-by shooting outside a Saint Paul apartment complex in Nov. 2024.
Prosecutors allege that Steven Rawls Jr., 25, fired multiple shots at a vehicle parked on the 600 block of Aurora Avenue, killing one man and endangering three others, including two children Nov. 24.
Officers initially responded to the Aurora Avenue location earlier that day after a report of a dispute involving weapons. Witnesses described a confrontation between occupants of the building and a group that had arrived to retrieve belongings. Police cleared the scene after determining the situation had de-escalated. Less than 20 minutes later, dispatchers received calls reporting gunfire at the same address.
Officers arrived to find a Mazda riddled with at least 13 bullet holes. Inside, officers found a 26-year-old man who had been shot seven times and gravely injured. The victim was pronounced dead while en route to Regions Hospital. A two-month-old infant and a five-year-old child in the backseat were unharmed despite shattered windows and a bullet hole in the infant's car seat.
Witnesses and surveillance footage indicated that a black Mitsubishi Outlander had pulled alongside the Mazda before multiple gunshots were fired from within the SUV. Investigators identified Rawls as the vehicle’s owner and linked him to the scene using surveillance video and cell phone location data. The footage showed Rawls and several accomplices fleeing the area immediately after the shooting and returning to his residence in Minneapolis.
Rawls—who was arrested on Dec. 31, 2024—admitted ownership of the Mitsubishi but denied being in Saint Paul on the day of the shooting. Rawls now faces two counts of second-degree murder and six counts of attempted murder.
He is being held on $10 million bail and faces up to 40 years in prison for each murder charge if convicted. Rauls will make his initial court appearance Friday morning.
Investigators continue to seek information on other suspects involved in the shooting.
> See more of our latest coverage
