St. Paul artist shooting, police shooting in Belle Plaine connected
Police involved in deadly Belle Plaine shooting
St. Paul police say officers were involved in a shooting Thursday morning in Belle Plaine, which left one person dead. The incident remains under investigation, but police said it's related to a different fatal shooting that happened in downtown St. Paul on Wednesday night.
BELLE PLAINE, Minn. (FOX 9) - St. Paul police officers were involved in a fatal shooting in Belle Plaine on Thursday morning. The shooting is related to a homicide in Lowertown, St. Paul, police said.
The shooting happened after St. Paul police told Belle Plaine officers that a suspect in a St. Paul incident was believed to be in Belle Plaine.
What we know
The St. Paul Police Department said its officers were involved in a shooting just after 6:30 a.m. in Belle Plaine, where one person died. No police officers were injured.
"The incident is related to [Wednesday's] homicide in Lowertown," St. Paul police said.
St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry said in a Thursday afternoon press conference that officers were able to identify a vehicle and get photographs of the driver, who was the suspect in the Lowertown homicide.
That vehicle was then located in Belle Plaine at a residence in town. Prior to police making contact with the people inside the residence, the suspect came out armed with a handgun which led to police shooting the suspect.
In a post on Facebook Thursday morning, the Belle Plaine Police Department said, "Overnight, and through this morning, there was, and continues to be, police activity" near Meridian Street South and Prairie Street East.
"There is no threat to the public at this time. Please stay away from the area, as there is an ongoing, active investigation. As we gather more facts, we will send out a press release," the post said.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) is investigating the Belle Plaine incident.
Law enforcement officials are asking the public to stay away from the area where the shooting happened and say there is no threat to the public.
Photos from the scene Thursday morning show a medical helicopter and crime scene tape near a church.
Belle Plaine schools were under a shelter-in-place earlier Thursday, but that has since been lifted, the district superintendent told FOX 9.
Artist killed in Lowertown St. Paul homicide
The St. Paul Police Department says officers responded to reports of a shooting in the area of Kellogg Boulevard and Wall Street on Wednesday around 5:18 p.m.
At the scene, they found a woman who had been shot. That woman was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene. Further details about the victim were not immediately available.
Officers believe the suspect involved in the shooting left the area in a vehicle.
FOX 9's crews saw investigators working in an alleyway behind the Lowertown Lofts Art Cooperative. While police were unable to release details about the victim, the art cooperative posted on Facebook that the woman killed was a member of their group.
They wrote: "This afternoon one of our members was shot and killed while working on an art project outside of our building. We don’t have a lot of information right now, but we are working closely with the authorities to resolve this tragic event. We ask that our friends and neighbors not speculate about the situation. Our community is in shock and grief as we grapple with the unimaginable."
When FOX 9 crews returned to the scene on Thursday morning, flowers were placed on a mural, which was blocked off by caution tape.
What we don't know
Police do not know if the suspect knew the victim.
This is a developing story that we'll update as we learn more.