Man shot nearly a month ago in St. Paul dies of his injuries; 2 in custody

A man who was shot on Oct. 30 has died of his injuries, resulting in the 30th homicide of the year, according to St. Paul police.

Oscar Lee Covington, 42, died on Tuesday at Regions Hospital, police said.

Officers responded to the 800 block of Rice Street around 5:45 p.m. on Oct. 30. There, they found Covington with a gunshot wound to his torso. He was brought to the hospital.

Edward G. Robinson, 43, and Erica Ruth Hampton, 42, were arrested and charged in connection with the shooting.

Robinson faces one count of first-degree riot resulting in death and two counts of first-degree aggravated robbery. Hampton faces one count of aiding an offender — accomplice after the fact.

According to amended criminal complaints filed Tuesday, Covington told police that an unknown man had tried to rob him before the shooting. He was trying to drive himself to the hospital but couldn’t start his car because it had an ignition interlock and he had been drinking at the bar.

Officers found a Glock handgun, two live rounds of ammunition, a spent casing, a cross pendant, two necklaces, an iPhone and a flip phone at the scene.

Investigators found surveillance video and asked Hampton, a bartender at the bar, if she knew any of the people involved and she said she didn’t. The video showed two people involved in the robbery get into a Toyota Camry, which was later found to be registered to Hampton.

The next day, Covington told police that he had been drinking at Born’s Bar and went outside for a cigarette and was attacked by a group of four-six people. He said he had around $4,500 cash on him because he was planning to buy “a little bike.” There was a fight and he realized he had been shot.

Covington added that Hampton had been overpouring his drinks and that he had pulled his cash out while paying for his drinks.

While going through items left at the scene, officers found a wallet with Robinson’s driver’s license in it. The phone found at the scene was also found to belong to Robinson.

Phone data shows that Robinson made a phone call to Hampton’s son prior to the shooting.

Surveillance video showed Robinson, Hampton’s son, and multiple other men fighting with Covington.

One of the other men was the one who shot Covington, but it is not clear if he has been charged at this time.