St. Paul leaders push for gun violence intervention amid recent string of homicides

St. Paul leaders, including Mayor Melvin Carter and Police Chief Axel Henry, addressed a recent trend of violence throughout the city during a news conference on Thursday.

City officials say there have been nine homicides in St. Paul in the past two months, driven largely by guns and bad decisions. Drug use, drunkenness and mental health issues have also played a role in the string of shootings.

St. Paul officers have also been involved in three shootings in that time; two resulted in the suspect’s death. In all three cases, the person who officers shot was an active murder suspect and was armed with a gun.

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Those who spoke on Thursday acknowledged that St. Paul has made strides over the past few years in reducing overall gun violence and solving shooting cases but urged people in the community to take steps to prevent further crimes, particularly those involving firearms.

So far in 2024, Henry said St. Paul police have recovered 556 guns and arrested 329 people who were not legally allowed to have a firearm.

“That’s a form of prevention. We’ll never know exactly how many of those guns being recovered have stopped another crime,” Henry said.

He encouraged people to turn those guns in or say something to police if someone is in a volatile state.

“Most of our weapons offenders, someone in their lives knew they had access to a gun or had a gun,” Henry said. “That gives us a chance to intercede. That gives us a chance to interrupt that cycle before any of these crimes happen.”

Carter highlighted a number of efforts by the city to cut down on violence in the community and at home, echoing Henry’s remarks that the only way intervention can happen is if someone speaks up.

“And I know that some of those folks at times can be afraid to call 911, but let me tell you: The best thing you can do for that person, the best thing you can do to keep that person from doing harm to themselves, from doing harm to someone else, from doing harm to your family is to make sure that we have the information that we need for our big team to be able to engage and intercede,” Carter said.

The mayor said anyone wishing to deal with a potential crisis scenario can call the SPPD non-emergency line at 651-291-1111.

Community leaders in attendance underscored that adult role models could be the difference in deterring a young person from making a brash decision.

“The men in our community have to stand up, take their rightful place for our young men and our young women, otherwise this madness will continue,” said Tyrone Terrell, president of the African American Leadership Council. “So we need to stand up and do what’s right by our community.”

Meanwhile, Maria Maier with the St. Paul & Ramsey County Domestic Abuse Intervention Project shared a message for victims of domestic abuse who aren’t sure where to turn when their lives might be in danger.

“Firearms and domestic violence intersect, and the most dangerous time for a victim is when they try to leave. At that moment, a victim of domestic violence is 75% more likely to be murdered,” she said.

Maier said her organization has resources available for acute intervention, transitioning away from an abusive partner and beyond.

“At St. Paul Intervention Project, you will be treated with kindness, you will be believed, and you will be treated with respect,” Maier said. “If you know someone or if you are someone who is being abused, call and get the help that you deserve and we can really put a stop to this domestic violence epidemic.”

You can call the St. Paul Intervention Project at 651-645-2824. A list of other domestic violence resources is available below.

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