What was initially believed to be a suicide in Merriam Park has morphed into a homicide investigation, according to the Saint Paul Police Department. On a quiet afternoon, officers received a call about a self-inflicted gunshot wound within a residence at the 1900 block of Marshall Avenue. A man was found dead at the scene with injuries consistent with a gunshot to the head. A handgun was present in the apartment, mere steps away from his lifeless body.
After conducting interviews with witnesses, inconsistencies in their accounts prompted the police to pry deeper, overturning the suicide narrative. As reported by the Saint Paul Police, these discrepancies provided enough probable cause to detain an 18-year-old male on suspicions tethered to second-degree murder, booking him into the Ramsey County Jail.
An autopsy is expected to be carried out by the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office, which will confirm the identity of the victim and establish the exact cause of his death. This tragic incident is the city's sixth homicide in the year. Updates and additional details throughout the investigation are to be communicated through the Saint Paul Police Department's X account, @sppdmn.
The investigation remains ongoing, police aren't releasing additional information at this time.
