A 10-year-old boy in St. Paul was shot in the stomach just moments before the city rang in the New Year, in what police described as a targeted attack. The child, whose identity has not been disclosed, was inside a residence on the 700 block of Sherburne Avenue when the gunfire erupted shortly before midnight.
The victim was hurried to Regions Hospital where, he is listed in "critical yet stable" condition according to KARE 11. The St. Paul Police Department, still piecing together the chaotic start to 2024, say they believe the act wasn't a coincidence and the shooter targeted the home with lethal intent.
This violent incident marked just the beginning of a series of shootings that plagued St. Paul through the night. Chief Axel Henry, deeply troubled by the night's brutality, spoke out against the violence, declaring in a statement obtained by CBS News Minnesota, "Last night's gun violence took the life of a man and injured one of our most vulnerable community members — a child. These are cowardly acts by selfish people, and we will find those responsible."
Two others were struck by bullets on the 1100 block of Payne Avenue just past the stroke of midnight; a man faced life-threatening injuries and a teenager suffered a graze wound to the leg. Adding to the city's distress, another man fell victim to gunfire around 1:30 a.m. in the Hamline-Midway neighborhood, dying later at a local hospital. As these investigations unfold, the shooters remain at large, their identities as elusive as their motives.
