Chicago man charged with murder in fatal July shooting in St. Paul

A 21-year-old Chicago man has been charged in connection with a fatal July shooting in St. Paul.

Jalan Wells was arrested by an FBI task force in Chicago, was extradited to Minnesota, and has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder in connection with the incident.

The shooting happened around 1:30 p.m. July 26 along St. Clair Avenue, just blocks away from Macalester College.

Officers found a man suffering from gunshot wounds inside a vehicle. Emergency responders performed life-saving measures before taking the man to Regions Hospital. He died a short time later. The Ramsey County Medical Examiner identified the man as 28-year-old Devonte Steven Ingram, of Brooklyn Park.

A criminal complaint details the following:

Witnesses at the scene told officers two men had left the scene following the shooting.

One witness said two men could be seen fighting inside the vehicle in which Ingram was found. The witness said the man who was in the passenger seat had what appeared to be a gun and could be seen punching the driver while the two struggled. The witness reported hearing "several" gunshots.

Another witness said that about 45 minutes prior to the shooting, two men, one taller and one shorter, had been walking up and down St. Clair Avenue acting suspiciously. That witness reported seeing the shorter man get into the passenger side of the vehicle in which Ingram was found. The taller man attempted to open the driver’s door, couldn’t open it, and ran to the passenger side door. The witness reported hearing a gunshot that sounded like it came from inside the vehicle and then reported hearing two more gunshots. The witness reported that the taller man ran back to the driver’s door with a handgun in his hand. That man ran from the scene and the shorter man in the passenger seat got out of the vehicle and also ran from the scene, the witness reported.

Police matched the witness’s description of the taller man to a description of Wells.

Upon learning Wells had been previously residing in the area, police spoke with the manager of a St. Paul apartment building in which Wells was living. The manager said he didn’t know the resident’s name because the unit had been subleased against building policy. The manager was able to identify Wells in a photo police provided.

Police said Wells was ultimately arrested in Chicago on Aug. 20. Charges have been filed in Ramsey County, according to the complaint.

Police said they are looking for another suspect as well.