Police in St. Paul are investigating multiple shootings that happened overnight, including the city’s first homicide of the new year and a separate incident that left a boy critically injured.

10-year-old shot in Frogtown

The first of the three shootings happened just before midnight Sunday on the 700 block of Sherburne Avenue.

A 10-year-old boy was found shot in the stomach and was taken to Regions Hospital, where he remains in critical but stable condition, police said. He is expected to survive.

Police say the child was struck by gunfire from outside the home, and the shooting is being investigated as a targeted incident.

“My heart goes out to the family and everybody that was affected by it,” Miki Lewis, program director with the 8218 Truce Center in St. Paul, said.

Lewis and his organization work closely with families to prevent these exact situations.

“We need to get back to that village, to get back to where [if] we see something, we say something,” Lewis added.

The organization is also letting the community know their door is open if people want to be part of the solution to the violence.

“Saying, ‘what can I do to help,’ instead of just complaining and talk about the people that are out here trying to do it. Why don’t you help, join them,” Lewis said.

Man hospitalized, teen grazed after Payne-Phalen shooting

Officers responded to a report of multiple shots fired just after midnight Monday on the 1100 block of Payne Avenue.

Police say they found a man with life-threatening injuries at the scene; he was brought to Regions Hospital for treatment. A second victim, a teenage boy, suffered a graze wound to his leg and did not need any medical care.

Investigators found “numerous shell casings” at the scene but encountered difficulty trying to learn what happened from people nearby, police said.

1st homicide of year in Hamline-Midway neighborhood

Officers were called to the 1600 block of Van Buren Avenue just after 1:30 a.m. after a caller said a group of people was gathering there and the caller wanted them removed, St. Paul Police says. As officers responded, police learned that shots had been fired.

One of the additional calls said a person was hurt and the caller was taking that person to a hospital. Officers later learned that a vehicle had arrived at United Hospital with a man suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. That man died a short time later from his injuries, the department says. He was later identified as 23-year-old Abdifatah Abdillahi, of Roseville.

Police say officers didn’t find any other victims at the scene but did find evidence of the shooting and started an investigation, which remains active.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 651-266-5650.

As investigators worked all cases, Sgt. Mike Ernster addressed the homicide investigation.

“This was not the start to 2024 that we envisioned or wanted,” Sgt. Ernster said.

“We’re trying to do the hard work of trying to determine what it was and our investigators are very good at what they do,” he added about working to learn what led up to the shooting.

In a statement surrounding the violent and deadly night, SPPD Chief Axel Henry sent the following:

“Last night’s gun violence took the life of a man and injured one of our most vulnerable community members—a child. These are cowardly acts by selfish people, and we will find those responsible.”