6 arrested in roving fights in St. Paul

St. Paul police arrested six males after a series of roving fights among juveniles broke out across the city in a two-hour span Saturday night.

Police responded to the Dunning Recreation Center at 1221 Marshall Avenue about 10 p.m. Saturday for a disorderly group of up to 200 people, mostly juveniles.

Police saw a large group of juveniles in the parking lot, some of them drinking, said police spokesman Steve Linders.

Three gunshots rang out, and the group scattered, Linders said. No one was injured by gunfire.

A gun was later found on a 17-year-old. Three casings were found outside the rec center.

The incident, which reportedly began with a fight and alleged vandalism inside the recreation center following a birthday party, spilled into nearby streets, the Green Line platform and downtown.

By 12:30 a.m. Sunday, police arrested six males between the ages of 13 and 18 for alleged crimes varying from riot to aggravated assault.

The complaint against the teen shows that police monitoring activity linked to the earlier call spotted him and other males downtown on 5th Street near Cedar Avenue.

Police tried to stop the group, prompting the teen to reach into his waistband, pull out a handgun and throw it on the ground, the charges said.

A .22 caliber Ruger was recovered, and later traced to a gun stolen from Chicago.

The teen allegedly told police that he was at the rec center for a party and fired two shots at an unknown male who had fired a shot at him.

The motives for the fights that broke out between groups of males and females are unclear, police said.

Numerous people in the groups also threatened police officers and the manager of a Popeyes fast food restaurant on University Avenue, where several young people pounded on the locked door, according to police.

"It's nothing short of amazing that no one was seriously injured by the people fighting," Linders said.

Chao Xiong • 612-270-4708