30-year-old charged in St. Paul murder

A 30-year-old man was charged Monday in connection with a fatal shooting last week in St. Paul.

Lawrence Danzel Phelps faces one count of second-degree murder in the June 24 death of Royce D. McKinney.

As previously reported, officers responded to the intersection of Van Dyke Street and York Avenue on a report of multiple shots fired. Callers reported hearing six to seven shots and hearing a car crash and a horn sounding.

At the scene, officers found a car that had crashed into a tree. McKinney, 22, was found unconscious in the driver’s seat. He was pronounced dead at the scene with a gunshot wound.

According to a criminal complaint, officers also found a handgun in the passenger seat. Investigators also found a bullet hole in the driver’s side door, a bullet hole on top of the door frame on the rear driver’s side door and an apparent bullet hole in the rear driver’s side window.

Surveillance video of the shooting showed McKinney driving east in the alley between Sims and York Avenue from White Bear Avenue. Later, the vehicle is seen speeding out of the alley to the south of Van Dyke St. and the suspected shooter is seen running in the opposite direction.

Investigators found nine spent 9 mm casings in the area of the shooting.

Police are familiar with a 17-year-old who lives in the area who has been arrested for robberies in the city and matches the description of the shooting, according to court documents. A 17-year-old was arrested Tuesday in connection with this case, St. Paul police said.

The teen was arrested during a traffic stop and said there was a gun in his backpack. He later denied that the backpack was his. Court documents state that the gun found in the teen’s backpack was the one that fired nine rounds in the alley.

In an interview with police, the teen admitted that he knew the gun was the one involved in the murder.

The teen said that his mom’s friend “Derrick” was the one who shot McKinney and that “Derrick” forced him to take the gun to McDonald’s to get rid of it.

The teen added that McKinney was mad at “Derrick” because he stole marijuana from him and that McKinney had followed him and “Derrick” home from Cub Foods. McKinney was reportedly taunting “Derrick” and revving his engine, according to court documents.

The 17-year-old’s mother and sister both denied the existence of a “Derrick.”

Surveillance video from Cub Foods showed the teen with his older brother, Phelps.

The teen later admitted that his brother shot McKinney — not “Derrick.”

After the shooting, the teen said that Phelps came inside in a hurry, changed his clothes, left his firearm, grabbed his phone and left.

The complaint notes that Phelps has a parole violation warrant for aggravated assault, domestic-related warrants out of Dakota County and a theft warrant out of Hennepin County.

After he was arrested, Phelps denied any knowledge of a shooting.