St. Francis man charged with attempted murder in shotgun attack on wife at North St. Paul workplace

A St. Francis man upset over his recent divorce tried to kill his ex-wife at her workplace the day before Thanksgiving, according to a second-degree attempted murder charge filed Wednesday.

John B. Steurer, 47, shot his ex-wife in North St. Paul before fleeing and shooting himself in the head, according to the charge filed in Ramsey County District Court.

Both survived their injuries. Steurer's ex-wife suffered a collapsed lung and injuries to her small intestine from the shotgun blast, among other injuries. Steurer was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center for treatment after he shot himself and was being booked into the Ramsey County jail Wednesday.

Their divorce was finalized on Nov. 9, ending their 23-year marriage.

According to the criminal complaint and North St. Paul police:

The woman and a male co-worker were alone at Anchor Mold and Tool Co. on the 2200 block of 2nd Street about 2:20 p.m. Nov. 23. The male co-worker thought he saw a figure in the building. Other co-workers had left about 2 p.m. for the holiday.

The male co-worker, who was working on a machine, checked but did not see anyone else in the building. Several minutes later, he heard the woman yelling.

The co-worker turned to see the woman struggling to escape from Steurer, who held her from behind as he grasped a long gun in one hand. Steurer allegedly fired at the woman as she fled down some stairs, causing her to fall the rest of the way. The co-worker fled the building and called 911.

The woman later told an investigator that Steurer confronted her in her office with a shotgun and a question: "You have any last words?" She pushed him out of the doorway and tried to flee, but he grabbed her and tried to pull her back inside. They struggled, and she yelled to her co-worker for help.

After Steurer shot her the first time, he pointed the gun at her and tried to pump the shotgun but couldn't get it to work properly, the woman told police.

"Please don't," she begged him. "Please don't."

The woman got up and fled, running into another room and pushing herself against the door to hold it shut. Steurer pushed it open enough to thrust in the shotgun barrel. The woman ran to the loading dock outside when she was unable to keep the door shut.

The woman eventually escaped and ran back inside the building, locking the door behind her. She yelled for her co-worker, and realizing that she was alone, called 911 herself.

The woman told police that she may have engaged the gun's safety lock at some point.

Police found her at the scene with blood on her head, chest and shoulders. They also found a spent shotgun shell and an unfired shell that apparently malfunctioned at the scene.

Steurer's mother called police to report that her son had contacted her and confessed to the shooting, the complaint said.

"As soon as the police stop me, I'm going to kill myself," he allegedly told his mother.

A park ranger spotted a vehicle matching Steurer's car parked near Bunker Beach Water Park in Coon Rapids. Officers from the Anoka County Sheriff's Office and Coon Rapids police responded, and Steurer engaged them in a 35-minute long standoff. Police said he aimed his gun at police.

Authorities did not fire their weapons, although Steurer moved his car at one point, striking a detective's unmarked car. Steurer was arrested and taken to Hennepin County Medical Center after shooting himself in the head.

Chao Xiong • 612-270-4708