St. Paul police probe first homicide of 2026
St. Paul police are investigating a fatal shooting on the city’s East Side after officers responded around 2:25 p.m. to the 900 block of York Avenue and found a man with multiple gunshot wounds, who was pronounced dead at the scene. The Ramsey County Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy to confirm his identity and official cause of death. Detectives in the homicide unit are working to piece together what led up to the gunfire and to identify any suspects, but no arrests or motive have been reported. This marks St. Paul’s first homicide of 2026, a metric residents and officials track closely after several years of volatile violent‑crime trends.
📌 Key Facts
- Officers were called about 2:25 p.m. to the 900 block of York Avenue on St. Paul’s East Side.
- A man with multiple gunshot wounds was found and pronounced dead at the scene.
- This is St. Paul’s first homicide of 2026; no suspect details or motive have been released.
📊 Relevant Data
In Minnesota, Black individuals, who comprise about 7% of the population, accounted for 62% of homicide victims.
Minnesota Criminal Justice Data Snapshot — Justice Reinvestment Initiative
In 2022, 67% of known murder perpetrators in Minnesota were Black, despite Black people making up only 7% of the state's population.
The demographics of crime in Minnesota, with updated 2022 data — Center of the American Experiment
Nationally in the US, homicides are largely intra-racial: in 2019, 89% of Black victims were killed by Black offenders, and 81% of White victims were killed by White offenders.
Expanded Homicide Data Table 6 — FBI Uniform Crime Reporting
The Greater East Side neighborhood in St. Paul has a diverse population, with 25.9% White, 15.4% Black, 32.1% Asian, and 6.7% some other race alone.
ESABA — East Side Area Business Association
📰 Source Timeline (1)
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