Man faces multiple charges in fatal shooting of 18-year-old in St. Paul

A 37-year-old St. Paul man is facing multiple charges in the fatal shooting of an 18-year-old this past weekend. He was officially arrested as of Monday afternoon.

According to court documents, Dennis John Edmondson faces three counts of second-degree murder (with intent-not premeditate, drive-by shooting and without intent-while committing a felony), as well as an additional charge of possessing a firearm while on probation. His next appearance in court is scheduled for Oct. 15.

The criminal complaint states that on Sunday, Aug. 29, at about 8:40 p.m., St. Paul police officers responded to a call about an assault that originally happened at the M&H gas station, located on the 700 block of Arcade Street. The caller told dispatch that she was in the area of Seventh Street East and Maria Avenue. Officers were alerted about gunshots being heard in the area. Police found a red Jeep off the roadway on Seventh Street East between Mounds Boulevard and Payne Avenue.

Several juvenile males were seen running around the Jeep while yelling and screaming, according to the complaint. Officers found the victim, later identified as 18-year-old Lavonte Baymond Love, on the ground with a bullet wound to his neck. Authorities noted the teen was "barely breathing" at the time. Love was transported to a nearby hospital where he died.

At the scene, police located five spent bullet casings in the area.

Officers spoke with witnesses, who confirmed they saw Edmondson at the gas station with a woman and young child. Love and four others were occupying a red Jeep at the gas station. According to the complaint, surveillance video from the gas station showed Edmondson grab a handgun and tuck it in his waistband prior to leaving the area.

After the Jeep pulled away from the gas station, Edmondson, driving a black Taurus, followed the Jeep. Witness accounts from the people in the Jeep stated the car pulled up and began to fire at the vehicle, causing the Jeep to crash. All witness accounts stated that Edmondson was the one shooting. Love was shot, according to the witnesses at the scene. Two women also stopped to help and claimed that Edmondson pointed his gun at them.

Further investigation by police revealed that the owner of the Taurus was in a relationship with Edmondson. It was also learned that Edmondson had a warrant for his arrest out of the Minnesota Department of Corrections and that he has four prior felony convictions, two terroristic threats and two convictions of third-degree criminal sexual conduct. These convictions make it so Edmondson cannot possess a firearm or ammunition, according to the complaint.

On Monday, the owner of the Taurus was stopped and detained. She claimed that she and Edmondson’s 6-year-old child were at the gas station that night getting gas. According to the complaint, she claimed he never got into an altercation with the people in the Jeep prior to them leaving. She then claimed that the Jeep was "driving crazy," speeding past the Taurus and then eventually driving back around to be beside the Taurus. She also told police that Edmondson fired his weapon because he believed the people in the Jeep were going to shoot first.

After arresting Edmondson later that day, investigators failed to speak with him, as he was "agitated and rambled about Allah." The interview was terminated because, according to the complaint, it did not seem as though it would be fruitful.