3 suspects in custody in connection to Dale St. Station death
Courtesy: Metro Police (From left to right: Markus Antwon Jennings, Lamar Kastedell Thomas, Markel Alauntae Jennings)
On Friday, the Mero Transit Police Department announced three people had been arrested and charged in connection to a fatal shooting that occurred in St. Paul last month.
18-year-olds Lamar Kastedell Thomas and Markel Alauntae Jennings, as well as 21-year-old Markus Antwon Jennings, have each been charged with second-degree murder by the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office.
The three men are alleged to have killed 23-year-old Kevon Ishmel Ewing on the night of May 17 in St. Paul. Officers from both the Metro Transit Police and St. Paul Police departments arrived at the Dale Street Station after getting a report of a shooting. Ewing was transported to the hospital, where he died.
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The three suspects were identified, according to authorities, after the surveillance video from inside the light rail train car was reviewed.
All three men had their first appearance for the case on Friday morning, with their next court dates scheduled for Aug. 8. They are all being held on a $2 million bail.
In response to the arrest, Metro Transit Police Chief Ernest Morales III issued this statement:
“I want to commend the work of the MTPD Investigations Unit who were dedicated to ensuring justice for Mr. Ewing’s family and loved ones. I’ve said it repeatedly and will keep repeating It – crime, especially senseless acts of violence, will not be tolerated anywhere on our transit system or in our community. I want to thank the St. Paul Police Department, Minneapolis Police Department, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, and Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for assisting us in the apprehension of the three suspects – as well as Ramsey County Attorney John Choi for bringing charges in this case.”
Choi also sounded off on the charges, and issued the following statement:
“Everyone should be safe on our public transit systems and in our community. We stand united with law enforcement and with our community in doing everything we can to prevent and respond to gun violence. We are grateful to our law enforcement partners for their hard work to investigate these cases and we will do everything in our power to bring accountability to the people responsible and provide a sense of justice for Mr. Ewing, his friends and family, and our community, which have all been harmed by these senseless acts of violence.”