St. Paul police have arrested two teenagers in connection with a suspected gang-related shooting that injured an innocent bystander and nearly struck the victim's 4-year-old daughter in her car seat when rivals exchanged gunfire outside an Asian supermarket last month.
One of the four alleged shooters, a 17-year-old St. Paul boy, was charged in Ramsey County District Court on Wednesday with assault with a dangerous weapon and illegal possession of a firearm. Prosecutors are seeking to certify him as an adult due to the violent nature of the crime.
Martavious D. Roby-English, 18, of St. Paul, also faces felony firearm charges related to the gun battle, which littered a North End parking lot with more than 25 shell casings, charges say. He remains jailed in lieu of $100,000 bail.
According to the criminal complaint:
St. Paul police responded to a shooting outside Tiger Market, an Asian grocery store at 893 Rice St., just after 6 p.m. on Oct. 29. Upon arrival, officers found a 28-year man suffering from a gunshot wound to the foot. The victim told authorities he was loading groceries when a volley of gunfire broke out, shattering the windows of his minivan with his wife and child inside. "Bullets barely missed the toddler where she was strapped into her car seat," charges say. A nearby resident also reported gunfire striking her home, where rounds whizzed past her daughter sitting on the couch.
Surveillance video from the scene showed two young men outside Plan B Lounge firing on two teens walking through the Tiger Market parking lot. Caught by surprise, the teenagers took cover behind a customer's minivan and one — wearing a blue jacket with a white stripe and a colorful baseball cap — can be seen shooting back over the hood.
Investigators later identified him as the 17-year-old. His 18-year-old friend, who has not yet been identified by police, was later transported to the hospital with a gunshot wound to the hand. He did not cooperate with officers when asked about his injury.
During a search of the 17-year-old's house, authorities found a Minnesota Twins baseball cap that matched the one seen on surveillance footage. He was arrested Monday while carrying a loaded semiautomatic .45-caliber handgun in his pocket, court records show.
