Two people wounded by gunfire near Allianz Field in St. Paul
Two people were shot and wounded just off of University Avenue in St. Paul on Sunday night, as Minnesota United was kicking off its first playoff game across the street at Allianz Field.
Police said the shooting happened between two groups in a laundromat parking lot at University and Pascal Street about 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Authorities said they believe the two groups exchanged gunfire, wounding two males — one with a grazing wound to the head.
St. Paul police spokesman Steve Linders said both of the wounded individuals are expected to survive. He said one suspected shooter is in custody, and police are seeking another. One handgun was recovered at the scene; the incident remains under investigation.
Linders said investigators do not believe the shooting was a random incident. He said officers already in the area because of the soccer game were able to quickly reach the shooting scene.
"It’s concerning any time we have gunshots in the city of St. Paul and it's very concerning we have 20,000 people enjoying a soccer game, a playoff soccer game,” he said. “But thankfully it’s rare. You know, we’ve had a lot of soccer games in the city of St. Paul so far this year, and incidents like this have been incredibly rare."
St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter spoke at the scene soon after the shooting, and said it will take more than police to stem a recent flurry of gun violence.
"It’s going to require our nonprofit partners, it’s going to require our pastors, it’s going to require our community leaders, the mothers in our communities, the families and friends, all of us put together," he said. "I am very immediately going to be pulling my entire cabinet together, to talk about the role every single city department can play in keeping St. Paul safe."
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