Man charged in connection with attempted robbery after shootout in St. Paul leaves victim and suspect wounded

A St. Paul man is charged in connection with an attempted robbery and shooting of a man in late August.

Kyrees Darius Johnson, 22, was charged with two counts of first-degree aggravated robbery, two counts of first-degree carjacking, and one count of drive-by shooting towards a person with dangerous weapons.

St. Paul police officers responded to the 300 block of Atwater Street for reports of shots fired just after 3:30 a.m. on Aug. 22. A criminal complaint states that witnesses reported hearing 30-50 shots.

Officers found a gunshot wound victim who had been struck above his right hip, the criminal complaint states.

The victim told officers he had been contacted by a woman who wanted him to pick her up on a road off of Rice Street to “hook up.” The victim picked the woman up and she started directing him through a series of turns, according to the complaint.

The victim said a vehicle then quickly approached and rear-ended his car, at which point the woman immediately got out. He told police he considered driving off but didn’t want to be a part of a hit-and-run.

The complaint states that the victim saw two men approaching his car carrying handguns with extended magazines, so he put his firearm in his pocket and got out. The victim has a permit to carry a firearm, officials say.

A man in a red sweatshirt then put his handgun to the victim and said “Run your pockets.” The victim told law enforcement he put his hands in the air and walked away because he feared the men would find his gun if they searched his pockets.

The man in the red sweatshirt then put a gun to the victim’s back and told him again to run his pockets, the complaint states.

At that point, the victim began firing, and the suspect fired back. The victim told police he believed the man’s gun sounded like an automatic weapon.

The victim was shot after the man in the red sweatshirt fell down and the other suspect began firing, officials say. The victim then ran away and hid until the suspects left.

Police say the victim stated he believed the woman knew about the robbery.

Johnson was later brought to the hospital wearing a red sweatshirt and having sustained multiple gunshot wounds, the complaint states.

Officials say the woman drove Johnson to the hospital but left before law enforcement arrived.

Court records show Johnson has three previous felonies for fleeing police in a motor vehicle, second-degree assault, and fifth-degree violation of controlled substance law.

His first court appearance is set for the afternoon of Sept. 19.