St. Paul man charged in drive-by shooting now charged with murder in separate shooting

A man who is charged in connection to a drive-by shooting in February is now charged with murder in connection to a separate St. Paul shooting.

Kavion Jayvon Barnett, 27, was arrested Monday in connection to both shootings.

RELATED: Arrest made in St. Paul homicide, drive-by shooting

The drive-by shooting happened on Feb. 13 on the Earl Street Bridge in St. Paul.

According to a criminal complaint, Barnett told police he thought an opposing gang member was in the car. Instead, it was a man with his wife and two kids who were on their way to church. The man suffered injuries not considered to be life-threatening, and Barnett is charged with second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon in connection to the shooting.

Days earlier, on Feb. 9, 57-year-old James Jeffrey King, Sr., was found in his truck, suffering from a gunshot wound to his head.

Barnett told police he’d had prior confrontations with King about loud music, including a couple nights earlier, the complaint states. However, Barnett denied trying to kill King, saying he was just trying to scare him.

King died three weeks later. Barnett is now charged with second-degree murder in connection to King’s death.

The complaint also says, after the shootings, Barnett gave the gun to another person. That same gun was used in a Frogtown homicide on March 4, for which Delaquay Levius Williams is charged with murder.

Additionally, the complaint states that Barnett was on conditional release at the time of the shootings he’s charged in, pending sentencing on a charge of second-degree assault with a firearm.

Barnett made his first court appearance in connection to the drive-by shooting on Tuesday. His first court appearance in connection to King’s death is set for Thursday morning.