'We're all in this together': St. Paul police ask for residents' help after crime spree

St. Paul police are asking for residents' help after a crime spree Wednesday night.

The department said officers were called to the area of Hudson Road and Earl Street overnight on a report of shots fired and found 57 shell casings lying in the street.

A short time later, officers responded to Bush Avenue and Van Dyke Street on another report of shots fired. While officers didn't find as many shell casings, police said two victims showed up at a hospital with gunshot wounds a short time later. Neither of those victims is cooperating with investigators.

Police said officers then responded to a drive-by shooting on Suburban Avenue. Upon arriving at the scene, officers located the suspect vehicle and began a pursuit, which ended when the suspect crashed into two other vehicles while trying to get off Interstate 94 and onto Highway 61, police said. The suspect then began running away while holding a gun, but officers eventually got the man to put down the gun, and he was taken into custody.

"THANKFULLY (and somewhat amazingly) no one was injured during this crime spree—not an innocent victim in a home or on a road, not the suspect and not an officer. But we got lucky," St. Paul police said.

Police then asked residents to help:

"CALL US if you know who is illegally possessing guns
"CALL US if you know who is illegally carrying the guns in our city
"CALL US if you know who is shooting the guns."

Police added, "We're all in this together. Your officers are working hard, putting themselves in danger, taking guns off the streets under incredibly challenging circumstances. Last night could have ended very differently. THANKFULLY no one died. Next time, we may not be so lucky."