23-year-old charged with attempted murder after police say he shot at his mother near Metro State

A 23-year-old has been charged in connection with a shots fired incident across the street from Metro State University on Thursday.

Elijah Dontrel Lowe faces one count of attempted second-degree murder and one count of possessing/using a firearm with a trigger activator.

As previously reported, St. Paul police were called to a shooting across the street from Metro State University around 12:30 p.m. Thursday. The school went into lockdown.

According to a criminal complaint, a witness said the shooter argued with someone in a red SUV, pulled out a firearm and shot at the SUV as it drove away. Officers found 11 spent .10 shell casings at the scene.

While investigators were on scene, Lowe’s mother approached them and said that her son had shot at her. She said they had gotten into an argument and she told him to leave her home and not return.

Lowe left on foot and his mother said she later left in her SUV. While driving, she saw Lowe standing in a parking lot and yelled at him not to come home. She said Lowe pulled out a gun and shot at her, adding that she felt the bullets hit the vehicle.

According to court documents, the vehicle had a shattered rear window, a broken rear driver’s side window and multiple bullet holes along the driver’s side.

While investigators were examining the SUV, they found Lowe arguing with his mother and arrested him. He had an empty handgun magazine in his possession.

A handgun with a trigger activator was found inside a grill nearby — it was missing its magazine.

While speaking with investigators, Lowe admitted to shooting at his mother and said the handgun was his and that he had tried to hide it in the grill.

Court documents note that Lowe has four prior felony convictions: two for illegal firearm possession, one for aggravated first-degree robbery and one for simple robbery.

Lowe was released from prison in February.

He was on a conditional release on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of an auto sear at the time of this crime.