St. Paul police chief speaks out after mass shooting downtown
St. Paul Police Chief Todd Axtell speaks out after the downtown shooting.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - St. Paul Police Chief Todd Axtell is speaking out after the Sunday morning shooting that left one woman dead and multiple others injured downtown.
He said the tragic shooting was senseless and that the department is doing everything they can to find justice.
"Somebody just out having a good time, enjoying themselves, and in a moment’s notice, their life gets snuffed out… and it really becomes personal for us," he said.
Chief Axtell spoke with the family of Marquisha Wiley, vowing the department would do everything possible to bring those responsible to justice.
The Chief said what happened Sunday morning is something police are seeing more and more: personal beefs that lead to gunfire, and they don’t care who gets in the way.
"That’s the problem. They’re settling their disputes - over mostly disrespect - by gunfire. Yesterday’s fist fights are today’s gun fights, and that’s the problem."
Marquisha Wiley graduated from what is now called Two Rivers High School in Mendota Heights.
In a statement, her sister wrote, "my sissy was one in a million. She did not deserve for someone to so carelessly take her life away. She was a dedicated vet tech with goals as bright as the sun. She was a good person. She didn’t deserve this."
Chief Axtell said that as for downtown and West 7th Street, the area is not unsafe. Rather, it’s just where these suspects came into contact.
"This could truly have happened anywhere. If I had 200 officers on the street throughout the evening when this occurred, that shooting, most likely, still would have occurred."
Monday, two men were charged in connection to the shooting. They are in custody but remain at the hospital.