3rd suspect pleads guilty in shooting of St. Paul man

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The third and final suspect in the deadly shooting of a St. Paul man, who was killed just feet from his mother's home during a botched robbery attempt that turned into a murder, entered a guilty plea on Tuesday.

Arteze Kinerd pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the shooting. He is expected to be sentenced to more than 30 years for the shooting of Alex Becker. He also entered a guilty plea in a separate kidnapping case.

St. Paul shooting victim’s mother turns tragedy into celebration

While walking home from a late-night work shift, 22-year-old Alex Becker was shot and killed in St. Paul only steps away from his home. His mother is now hoping to break a cycle of violence, using his generosity as the motivation.

Kinerd was charged alongside Shaun Travis and Detwan Allen in Becker's shooting in December 2022.

Becker was walking home from work two days after Christmas after a late-night shift when prosecutors said he was targeted. Prosecutors said Becker was robbed at gunpoint and then shot six times in a dark alley, just steps from the front door of his home.

Travis, the first defendant to stand trial, was acquitted by Ramsey County Judge JaPaul Harris. Travis admitted to being at the murder scene, but prosecutors couldn't prove he had a role in the shooting.

Allen was found guilty last December by a Ramsey County jury. He is set to be sentenced in April.

Kinerd will be sentenced on June 3.

St. Paul Crime and Public Safety