Charges: Crash, argument over insurance leads to fatal shooting in St. Paul, Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A Watertown, Minnesota man is facing murder charges after a crash led to a deadly shooting in St. Paul, Minnesota Friday night. 

Anthony Trifiletti, 24, is charged with one count of first-degree murder in the shooting death of Douglas Lewis, 39, of St. Paul. 

According to the charges, at around 9:30 p.m., St. Paul police officers responded to the 1300 block of Burns Avenue near U.S. Hwy. 61 on a report of a shooting. When officers arrived, they found bystanders giving aid to Lewis, who had several gunshot wounds. 

Police and medics took over providing aid. They transported Lewis to Regions Hospital, where he died in surgery a few hours later. The medical examiner determined Lewis had been shot four times. 

Officers learned the shooter, Trifiletti, was on scene near a 2020 GMA Sierra. 

In an interview with police, Trifiletti said he was driving on U.S. Hwy. 61. He switched lanes on the highway, and a silver Ford hit him from behind. 

Trifiletti’s friends, who were driving behind him on the freeway, told police they saw the Ford hit his truck. 

Trifiletti and the Ford pulled over and both men got out of their vehicles to exchange insurance information. 

The men started to argue. At one point, they both ran back to their vehicles. Trifiletti said he got a 9mm handgun from his truck and put it in his waistband.  

He said saw Lewis put his hand beneath his shirt as they he was reaching for a gun, so he drew his own weapon and fired three to four times. Trifiletti’s friends also said they saw Lewis reach into his waist like he was going to grab a gun. 

Trifiletti said he thought he was going to die and he was afraid for his life. 

The bystanders who rendered aid to Lewis witnessed the shooting. They told police they had slowed their car for some deer when they saw the two men arguing. They said the two men ran to their respective cars and Trifiletti grabbed a handgun. He shot at Lewis, who fell to the ground. 

Trifiletti’s friends did not witness the shooting. 

After the shooting, Trifiletti said he got back into his truck, turned around and left in case he “hadn’t extinguished the threat,” the charges say. 

Trifiletti told police he called his father and told him what happened. His father told him to return to the scene, which he did. 

No weapons were found on Lewis, according to the charges.