Police have identified the men gunned down on St. Paul's East Side early Thursday morning.
Alejandro Omar Rios, 21, and Michael William Stewart, 39, both of St. Paul, died at Regions Hospital following an overnight shooting at the intersection of Payne Avenue and E. North Street.
Officers responded to the area just west of Swede Hollow Park around 3:30 a.m. after several neighbors called 911 to report a volley of gunfire. Police found the men suffering multiple bullet wounds, according to emergency dispatch audio. The suspected shooter reportedly ran away.
On Thursday, relatives identified Rios to the Star Tribune as one of the victims. Although the exact circumstances of his death remain unclear, Rios' sister Veronica Muñoz believes he was hanging out at a house on Payne Avenue when some sort of altercation spilled out into the intersection.
Rios, who lived with his mother only a block from the shooting, was remembered as an aspiring rapper who enjoyed writing and producing his own music. He leaves behind a 1-year-old son.
No arrests have been made in the case. Anyone with information is asked to call investigators at 651-266-5650.
Liz Sawyer • 612-673-4648
