3 men accused of gunning down man on St. Paul LRT train platform

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Three men are now accused of gunning down a man on a light rail train platform in St. Paul last month who they believed was a member of a rival gang.

Markus Jennings Jr., 22, Markel Jennings, 18, and Lamar Thomas, 18, are charged with aiding and abetting murder for the shooting on May 17. The Jennings are brothers.

According to the charges, the victim was taking the train with his cousins when they encountered the suspects, seemingly by happenstance. The victim's group had been in another car but switched cars when they smelled smoke.

In the second car, a group seemingly recognized the victim, with one person allegedly asking: "Who opp this is?" Police say "opp" is a reference to an "opposing" gang member.

The charges state that when the train rolled up to the Dale Street Station, a member of the second group said, "Kill ‘em. Let’s have a shootout."

Witnesses with the victim's group said the other group was clutching as if they had guns. One of the men ultimately pulled a gun and fired. The witness also heard the auto sear on the gun – an attachment that makes it fully automatic.

St. Paul police investigate a fatal shooting at a light rail station on May 17, 2024. (FOX 9).

Surveillance video from the platform captured the shooting. Police say the video shows a man wearing a Calvin Klein jacket, a blue surgical mask, and multicolored Crocs, firing shots.

As the victim ran for his life, a second man wearing a black hoodie and blue surgical mask – later identified as Thomas – also opened fire. Police say they recognized him by a "distinctive" tattoo that reads "no fear."

A third man, later identified as Markel Jennings, then ran out and fired a single shot as the victim was lying on the platform.

The charges state that, after the shooting, police showed photos from the surveillance video to the Jennings brothers' mother and she identified her sons as two of the shooters. They also located and searched a Buick that the trio climbed into after the shooting. Inside, they found clothing that Thomas wore during the shooting. They also found other clothing that officers connected to another shooting that happened days before the murder on the train platform. Police say Thomas and Markus Jennings are charged with attempted murder in that separate case.

According to the charges, about a year prior to the shooting, Markus Jennings was injured in a shooting at the Lake Street train platform in Minneapolis.