St. Paul triple homicide charges: Suspect 'executed' victims over $65 parking contract

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A man has been charged with murder after authorities say he "executed" three property managers at his apartment building in St. Paul, Minnesota Monday during a dispute over a $65 parking contract.

St. Paul triple homicide charges

What we know:

According to the charges, officers arrived at the Davern Park Apartments in St. Paul Monday evening after several 911 calls came in reporting hearing gunshots and screams. 

At the scene, officers found a man and two women with fatal gunshot wounds. The victims have been identified as Nansi G. Fuentes Zambrano, 25, of Inver Grove Heights, Dena M. Silcox, 56, of St. Paul and Adam J. Wilwerding, 43, of Oakdale.

The charges state that Fuentes Zambrano had been trying to escape from the office window when she was shot. 

Police found 21 9mm casings inside the leasing office. 

Tsegaab Ademassu Binessu, 30, has been charged with three counts of second-degree murder with intent in relation to the shooting. 

Binessu confessed to roommate about shooting

What they're saying:

Court documents state that a man called the police stating Binessu had been his roommate since 2018 and had called him confessing to the fatal triple shooting. 

The roommate said that Binessu had mostly kept to himself and worked as a trucker, but had quit two months ago. Binessu told his roommate he planned on enlisting in the U.S. Navy and said that he thought the interview went well. 

Binessu then told his roommate he planned on selling his car to CarMax in Maplewood, and the roommate thought Binessu was going to discuss canceling his $65 a month parking garage contract with property management, court documents state. 

Hours later, the roommate spoke with Binessu, who allegedly said he had "argued with apartment management and ended up killing three people." Binessu then told his roommate he was walking to the police station. 

But, after the shooting, a man approached officers and said his girlfriend was one of the victims and her car was missing from the parking lot. 

Police did confirm that Binessu had sold his car on July 20, the same day as the shooting. 

Deadly shooting captured on surviellance video

What happened:

According to the charges, surveillance video from inside the apartment's leasing office showed Silcox sitting in a chair behind a desk inside the office. Wilwerding was seen leaning on the back of a chair on the other side of Silcox's desk. Both were seen talking to Binessu. 

Binessu was wearing a shirt with black and white stripes, red pants, a gold watch and dark shoes. 

At some point during the conversation, Binessu pulled up his shirt and grabbed his gun from the waist of his pants, and chambered a round. 

Video then shows Binessu point his gun at Wilwerding, who put his hands in front of his body, and shoot him three times. As Wilwerding is falling to the ground, Binessu then shoots him three more times, court documents say. 

Silcox screamed and covered her ears when Binessu shot Wilwerding, and said, "No, no—no, no, no." Binessu then shot Silcox five times in rapid succession, and as she wheeled her chair from the desk, Binessu shot her a sixth time. 

Court documents say that Binessu then "stalked around the office" and said "motherf---ing b---h."

The video then shows Binessu head down a hallway out of the camera's view, but a woman's screams are heard followed by four more gunshots. 

Apartment staff later told investigators that Binessu had called to cancel his parking garage contract with the building. They told Binessu that he could not get out of paying the contract, which he had recently renewed, court documents state. 

Binessu then reportedly told the person on the phone that he was going to come talk in person about the situation, to which the person said that the answer would be the same if he came in person. 

Charges state that shortly after the call, Binessu went to the leasing office and "executed" the victims. 

Binessu's arrest in St. Louis County

Dig deeper:

Binessu was ultimately arrested while driving Fuentes Zambrano's car, with what looked to be newly bought camping gear inside, the charges state. 

Binessu had his U.S. passport, Social Security card, an empty handgun magazine and his permit to carry a firearm with him when he was arrested. He was wearing the same outfit that was seen in the surveillance video. 

In an interview with investigators, Binessu complained about and said he hated the American system. He complained about not being able to bring his wife and children to the U.S. from Ethiopia for seven years. 

Binessu reportedly said that the "prolonged immigration process" led to his divorce and separation from his children, court documents said. He said he quit his trucking job over the stress of his family situation. 

He also complained about the apartment management blaming the "system" instead of helping him, and said he was treated unfairly because he is Black and an immigrant, the court documents allege. 

Binessu said to investigators that "life without his family no longer made sense." 

He also said the woman that he spoke to on the phone about the parking garage contract "repeatedly told him it was the ‘system’' and could not be changed."

Binessu told investigators he went to the office, but wouldn't say what happened there and asked for a lawyer. 

What's next:

Binessu will have his first court appearance on Wednesday morning. He is currently in custody. 

Crime and Public SafetySt. Paul