ST. CLOUD – The death of a 25-year-old woman found lying on the side of the road in south St. Cloud on Thursday was ruled a homicide, marking the city's third homicide of the year.

St. Cloud police responded to a report of a suspicious death just before 9:30 a.m. Thursday in the 4300 block of Cooper Avenue S. The victim, Keisa Marie Lange of Litchfield, Minn., died from a gunshot wound, according to a news release from Assistant Police Chief Jeff Oxton.

The suspicious death was the second in as many days in St. Cloud, as police had responded to a report of a woman shot to death in an apartment in the 1400 block of 12th Avenue N. on Wednesday morning.

That woman was identified as 28-year-old Janesa Lashay Harris of St. Cloud, and the medical examiner ruled her death a homicide Thursday.

Oxton said there are "notable similarities" between the homicides but said it is unclear if there are any direct connections.

St. Cloud saw an average of about two homicides per year from 2013-2020; during that range, 2015 had the highest number of homicides with four reported.

Jenny Berg • 612-673-7299

Twitter: @bergjenny