A St. Paul driver dispute that blew up in a Payne-Phalen alley has ended with a prison term and a life-altering injury. A local man was ordered Monday to serve nearly eight years behind bars after admitting his role in a shooting that left another man paralyzed from the waist down.
Court records show 36-year-old Boonme Vue pleaded guilty on Jan. 29, 2026, to one count of aiding and abetting first-degree assault and was sentenced Monday to 93 months in prison, with credit for 344 days already served, according to KSTP. As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors dismissed additional counts, including attempted second-degree murder and illegal possession of a firearm. KSTP also reports Vue has about 10 prior felony convictions, including burglary and threats of violence.
Legal context
Under Minnesota law, certain felony or violent-crime convictions bar a person from possessing firearms and can carry separate felony penalties if that ban is violated. Courts routinely spell out that prohibition and the potential consequences for defendants, a backdrop that helps explain why prosecutors highlighted Vue's criminal history, according to Minnesota Statutes.
How the shooting unfolded
According to a criminal complaint, officers were called to the Payne-Phalen neighborhood on the afternoon of March 1, 2025, for a reported shooting. The victim told police he argued with several men about how fast he had driven down an alley, and that the confrontation turned physical. One person then fired four or five shots, hitting the victim once. He was taken to a hospital with what were initially described as non-life-threatening injuries but later lost feeling in his legs and could no longer move them, according to KSTP.
What's next
Vue received credit for time already served and will complete the remainder of his 93-month sentence in a state facility. Public records often trail behind what happens in court, and the Minnesota Department of Corrections notes its online Offender Locator can take several business days to reflect new commitments, so his status may not immediately appear on the DOC website, per the Minnesota Department of Corrections Offender Locator.
