Man pleads guilty to assault for shooting 4 outside St. Paul deli
Marcellus Mitchell (Ramsey County Sheriff's Office)
A man pleaded guilty Monday to assault for shooting at a group of people outside a deli in October in St. Paul, injuring four, court records show.
Marcellus Dante Mitchell, 19, entered a guilty plea for felony first-degree assault after originally being charged with one count of first-degree and two counts of second-degree assault. He will be sentenced in May.
At 1 p.m. Oct. 5, Mitchell fired nine rounds at a group of people outside of Thomas Deli at North Milton Street and Thomas Avenue West.
Four people were struck by gunfire, but all had non-life-threatening injuries, according to a criminal complaint. However, one woman spent eight days at Regions hospital after being shot in the head — a bullet lodged itself behind her eye. She underwent surgery and most of the bullet was removed, but she has permanent nerve and vision damage.
Officers executed a search warrant on Mitchell’s mother’s house in St. Paul in November and found an involved vehicle and clothing from the day of a shooting in a trash bag outside, a complaint says. He was arrested about a week later.
Upon his arrest, Mitchell told officers that the October incident was in retaliation to a shooting against him and his sister; he had a “feeling” that two people in the group outside the deli were those who fired at him in August.
Mitchell remains in custody at the Ramsey County Jail.