St. Paul police arrest man allegedly connected to drive-by shooting, find ghost gun

A St. Paul man is in custody after police say he was found during a hotel search Tuesday afternoon and was wanted on an outstanding arrest warrant.

According to St. Paul police, officers with the department’s gun unit executed a search warrant on the 1700 block of Suburban Avenue at around 4:45 p.m. Tuesday.

While searching the hotel, police tell 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS they arrested 26-year-old Demetrius Deshawn Lott, who was wanted for a dangerous weapons warrant stemming from a fatal drive-by shooting last Wednesday near the intersection of Manitoba Avenue West and Rice Street. As previously reported, police identified the man who died as 39-year-old Kenneth Wells of White Bear Township.

Police add their current information indicates Lott isn’t suspected of committing the actual murder.

A 9 mm black handgun without a serial number, also known as a ghost gun, was also found during the search and arrest.

According to a criminal complaint, Lott was formally charged by warrant with dangerous weapons-drive by shooting toward an occupied motor vehicle or building.

The document states witnesses described a Black man, identified as 36-year-old Jeff Leon Tyus Jr. (also known as J-Money) wearing a basketball jersey and baseball hat was involved in the shooting. He left in a Jaguar SUV with tinted windows, according to witnesses.

The complaint goes on to say surveillance video shows a Jaguar F-Pace speeding away from the area right after the shooting, and Tyus is the registered owner of that vehicle. Video also showed Tyus, the victim and others standing outside of the vehicle on the north sidewalk of Manitoba Avenue when gunfire erupted.

That gunfire is believed to have killed Wells, according to the charging document.

After the gunfire stopped, the complaint goes on to say Lott got out of the passenger side of the Jaguar, pulled something from a waistband and began running toward the alley where the shots came from, and is estimated to have fired about 20-30 bullets from an automatic handgun.

Lott then allegedly ran back to the vehicle and got into the front passenger seat, and Tyus got into the driver’s seat before the vehicle was spotted leaving the scene.

When officers arrived at the scene, nearly 30 spent shell casings were found nearby where Lott had fired.

Another group of shell casings was found to the west in the alley, and police believe there was a direct line of fire from that location to where Wells was shot.

The complaint states Tyus called an investigator on Sept. 1 and spoke to police at their headquarters. Documents state he drove the Jaguar to the police department and officers had the vehicle towed.

While there, the complaint goes on to say Tyus denied touching a firearm that night and also denied knowing Lott fired a gun.

Due to prior convictions, police say Tyus isn’t eligible to have firearms or ammunition.

The complaint adds Lott fired the gun while awaiting sentencing for a separate case involving a count of reckless discharge in a municipality, where he was involved in another shootout, according to prosecutors. The sentencing for that case was scheduled for July 22 and a warrant was issued. He is now scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 23.

St. Paul police add the investigation related to the warrant is still ongoing, as is the investigation for the man’s alleged involvement in the homicide.

If convicted, Lott faces up to 10 years in prison, a $20,000 fine or both.

An incident report states three other people were arrested on probable cause in connection to the search. Their ages weren’t immediately provided, however, the report states two of the three others who were arrested are also from St. Paul.