St. Paul city, community leaders plead for a stop to gun violence

St. Paul city and community leaders and the bereaved friend of a teenager shot to death last weekend pleaded Wednesday for residents to put down their guns and for everyone to help stop gun violence.

Their appeals came on the heels of two shooting deaths and about 30 reports to police of shots fired in the city between Friday and Monday.

At a news conference Wednesday afternoon near the site of Sunday's fatal shooting of 18-year-old Bobby Collins in Indian Mounds Regional Park, city officials pledged to find more money to bump up the Police Department's staffing — from 615 officers to 620 — by year's end, and to pay more overtime for patrols this summer, among other measures.

"If things are heatin' up this early in the season, if we don't get on top of it, we're afraid what might happen as we get more into the summer months," Mayor Chris Coleman said.

Coleman described the recent episodes as an "explosion in gun violence." He asked the Police Department to "reprioritize" its budget to allocate overtime pay for patrols.

The city will use a federal grant and other resources to increase the number of officers in the department.

Before city and community leaders gathered at the park overlooking downtown St. Paul to address the violence, Jordan Allen clutched a balloon to his face and cried for his friend, Collins, who was fatally shot in the back of the head about 7:20 p.m. Sunday.

Several young men and women gathered at the nearby memorial for Collins, a St. Paul resident who authorities believe was killed during gunfire between rival gangs. Emotions ran high as one woman yelled at a group of young men for their alleged behavior while another pleaded for solemnity in Collins' honor.

Allen, 20, befriended Collins when both were high school students in St. Paul.

"We is killing each other every day, every day," Allen said as he implored youth to stop gun violence. "Gangs got over these kids."

Allen said some youths feel threatened by others on the street, and think the only option is to seek refuge among "people that can protect you" or behind the barrel of a gun.

"You always got a choice," he said. "Nobody puts that pistol in your hand."

"We're talking about all black lives matter," Khaliq said. "Regardless, regardless of who the perpetrator is, we as a community, we're going to seek justice."

City and community leaders asked parents, partners and citizens to report gun and violent activity. Coleman and St. Paul Police Chief Thomas Smith noted that the city and department also provide outreach and intervention programs for troubled youth.

"You need to call us if you know your son or daughter is involved in violent activity or possibly has a gun," Smith said. "Let me tell you why: Because if you don't, it might be too late."

Since Friday, nine people have been injured by gunfire in St. Paul, two of them fatally.

In addition to Collins, Charles A. Hudson, 31, of South St. Paul, was shot to death Monday evening in the Payne-Phalen neighborhood.

According to police, the department has recovered 195 guns so far this year. In 2015, a total of 685 guns were recovered. In 2014, police recovered 466 and in 2013, 569. Police said the data do not show how many guns were used in a crime or how many were unlawfully owned.

Three men — Rayvion T. Brooks, 18; Prince Kava- naugh Romel Williams, 24; and Rashawn D. Porter, 18 — have been charged in connection with Collins' death, although the criminal complaints don't make clear who is believed to have fired the fatal shot.

Police have declined to say who the suspected shooter is, or whether that person remains at large.

No arrests have been made in Hudson's death. Police said it's unknown whether the two killings are related to each other or to any of the other reports of shots fired.

Staff writer Karen Zamora contributed to this report. Chao Xiong • 612-270-4708