St. Paul police make arrest in double slaying at motel

St. Paul police have arrested a 30-year-old man in connection with the fatal shooting of two men at a motel Tuesday night.

Sgt. Mike Ernster said the suspect was arrested Wednesday morning in St. Paul, hours after the shooting. He has not yet been charged and remains in the Ramsey County jail.

Officers were called to the Midway Motel at 901 Snelling Av. N. around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday. They found two men suffering from gunshot wounds. One man was lying in a parking lot of a nearby business, and the other was on the off-ramp from Snelling Avenue to W. Pierce Butler Route, police said.

Medics were unsuccessful in efforts to save the men, who died at the scene, said police spokesman Steve Linders.

It was not immediately clear what led to the shooting, but police scanner reports indicated that gunfire broke out when someone went into a room to tamp down a party going on there. Other suspects thought to have fled the area are being sought.

Police set up a large perimeter in the area and interviewed multiple witnesses; police dogs were part of the search. Multiple squad cars were called to the scene about 11:30 p.m. to transport people to police headquarters, according to scanner traffic. Police spent Wednesday talking with witnesses and trying to piece together the chain of events.

On Wednesday morning, the scene was mostly calm. Crime scene tape had been removed and a few vehicles remained parked outside motel rooms. Motel employees declined to comment.

St. Paul police are working with the Ramsey County medical examiner's office to determine the cause of the men's deaths and to identify the victims. Court records show that the shooting suspect, who is believed to be from St. Paul, has a 2012 conviction for disorderly conduct.

The motel does not seem to be a problem property. In the past year, police have responded to eight incidents that included cases of drunkenness, disorderly conduct, violation of a restraining order and one assault. The motel, located along a busy stretch of Snelling, is across from the Hamline University campus.

If the deaths are ruled homicides, they would be the city's second and third of the year.

On March 5, John Marshall Broyles, 17, was found fatally shot on a sidewalk near Prior and University avenues.

Tim Harlow • 612-673-7768