Police on the scene of a fatal shooting near University Avenue in St. Paul. (FOX 9)
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A Minneapolis man is facing murder charges for a deadly shooting in St. Paul last week in which police say an Iowa man was "targeted and executed" by two gunmen.
Background
On Tuesday, Sept. 17, at 12:20 a.m., St. Paul police responded to reports of a shooting in the parking lot behind the Twelve22 Apartments along University Avenue West, near North Griggs Street.
Officers discovered the victim, later identified as Lul Dak Chak, a 32-year-old man from Ames, Iowa, lying on the ground. Despite emergency efforts, Chak was pronounced dead at the scene.
New details
On Friday, charges were filed against Kueth Chuol Ngut, 22, of Minneapolis, in connection with Chak's death. Ngut faces two counts of murder, including one under Minnesota's drive-by shooting statute.
According to the criminal complaint, on the night of the murder, police had attempted to stop a Subaru that had run a red light near Hamline Avenue North and St. Anthony Avenue, approximately two blocks from the shooting scene. However, the driver fled the scene, racing away from police on city streets.
Moments later, the 911 calls reporting the shooting behind the Twelve22 Apartments came in. Investigators would later determine that the Subaru was connected to the shooting.
Witness statements
A witness at the scene told police that a gunman had exited the passenger seat of a vehicle and fired several shots at Chak and his friends outside the building. Chak was hit nine times in the upper body, neck, and face.
Another witness said the victim had been attempting to buy drugs when the shooting occurred. That witness, who was Chak's cousin, also said Chak had jumped in front of her to protect her from the gunfire.
Surveillance footage also captured the shooting, showing two men exiting the Subaru – both the driver and the passenger. Both suspects opened fire, with the driver walking up to Chak’s body and firing shots while the victim lay on the ground. After the shooting, the suspects fled the scene in the Subaru.
According to St. Paul police, the video evidence suggests that Chak was "targeted and executed".
Tracking the suspect
Police were able to obtain the Subaru's license plate number from the attempted traffic stop, which led them to the vehicle’s registered owner: Ngut’s girlfriend. She told investigators that Ngut had been driving the vehicle on the night of the shooting.
On that same night, Ngut had sent her a text message claiming the Subaru had gone missing, but it later showed up on a towed truck, missing a license plate. Ngut claimed he had eventually found the vehicle but couldn't get it to run, so he had it towed.
When officers searched Ngut’s apartment, they discovered a handgun loaded with ammunition that matched the casings found at the scene of Chak's murder. Police also recovered a bloodstained white towel from the apartment building’s trash.
On surveillance video from the night of the shooting, officers saw the Subaru being towed back to the apartment building and Ngut taking items out of the car, including throwing away a white towel.
Ngut was reportedly hostile when questioned by officers and refused to speak with police.
What's next?
Ngut is currently being held in Ramsey County Jail. He made his first court appearance on Friday and is expected to return for another hearing next month.
It's unclear if police have been able to identify the other person who was allegedly in the Subaru with Ngut.
Police say Ngut has a criminal record, including previous convictions for aggravated robbery and weapons charges.