The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office has charged 17-year-old Kle Swee with second-degree murder in the May 7 shooting death of 44-year-old Michael Brasel outside his home in St. Paul.

Court records obtained by 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS show Swee also pleaded guilty to felony aggravated robbery on April 27, 2022, after he was charged with robbing a student at gunpoint at Harding High School. He was sentenced to supervised probation for that aggravated robbery on Aug. 4.

University of St. Thomas legal analyst Rachel Moran said even though Swee was 16 years old when he pleaded guilty to the armed robbery, it is public information under Minnesota law because he used a firearm to commit the felony.

Moran said records are public for any 16- or 17-year-old juvenile convicted of a felony who used a gun to commit that crime.

“You do get to see what is the outcome of the case, what were the charges, what were the motions that the attorneys filed, did someone raise a challenge about competency?” said Moran. “That’s all information that’s available to the public.”

Prosecutors have filed a petition to have Swee tried as an adult in the killing of Brasel, but Moran said it is not a foregone conclusion that will happen. Moran said it will be up to Swee’s attorneys to convince a judge that justice will be properly served if Swee’s case stays in juvenile court.

“What happens is the judge holds a hearing, but the child’s attorney has the burden of showing in that hearing that … the court could still accomplish public safety goals by keeping the child in juvenile court,” Moran said.

Swee’s hearing on the motion to have him tried as an adult is expected to happen this week.