Man charged in robbery, fatal shooting in St. Paul's north end

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Benjamin Harris

ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) - A St. Paul man has been charged in the fatal shooting on St. Paul’s north end. The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office charged Benjamin Harris with second-degree murder with intent and second-degree murder without intent. If convicted, both counts each have a maximum sentence of 40 years.

The incident happened on September 1 around 4 a.m. on the 1200 block of Galtier Street North. The victim died on scene from gunshot wounds to the abdomen and upper chest. The other victim was unharmed.

According to the criminal complaint, the victim’s girlfriend told police she and the victim were in a parked car talking when a man approached them and said, “open the door.” The suspect then opened the driver’s door and demanded money. The victim’s girlfriend said she put $20 on top of the car, but the suspect wanted her to bring it to him and while she did that, her boyfriend jumped out of the car and tried to disarm the suspect and that’s when the suspect shot him twice.

Fingerprints from inside the victim’s vehicle matched the prints on file for 29-year-old Benjamin Harris.

St. Paul police say an investigation revealed Harris had an active warrant based on an underlying conviction for first-degree aggravated robbery where he was convicted in 2010. He was also convicted of aggravated robbery in 2007.

Harris will make his first court appearance in Ramsey District Court at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday.