2 Charged in Saint Paul Drive-By Shooting
BY MN CRIME STAFF
Two men are now charged in connection with a Saint Paul drive-by shooting outside a bar that left a man wounded in the ankle.
Prosecutors allege the pair coordinated movements, communications and vehicles in the moments leading up to the gunfire.
Michael Lee Tillman, 36, of Maplewood, and Brian Deshard Bell, 34, of Saint Paul, are each charged with second-degree attempted murder and drive-by shooting. Tillman is also charged with being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm, while Bell faces an additional felony charge for fifth-degree possession of cocaine. Tillman is held on $750,000 bail and Bell is held on $500,000 bail.
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According to the criminal complaints, officers learned shortly before midnight on Dec. 13, 2025, that a man had arrived at Regions Hospital with a gunshot wound to his left ankle. The victim told police he had been shot near Born’s Bar on Rice Street and was driven to the hospital by a friend. Multiple callers reported hearing six or seven gunshots in the area.
The victim told investigators he and a friend had been bar hopping that night and returned to Born’s Bar shortly before the shooting. As he leaned into the driver’s side of his parked Chevrolet Impala to grab something, he heard a gunshot and felt pain in his leg. He said he saw a truck with flashing lights behind him and later believed the shooter was seated in the back seat. His friend then helped him into the vehicle and drove him to the hospital. The victim told police he had not been involved in any dispute that evening.
Officers later found two bullet holes in the rear driver’s side door of the Impala along with additional damage inside the vehicle. Six spent 10mm shell casings were recovered from the street outside the bar.
Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from multiple locations showing the movements of the victim and others earlier in the night. Video from the Foundry Pub showed Bell was working security when the victim and his friend arrived. Within minutes, Bell was seen using his phone before leaving the bar and getting into a white Chevrolet Tahoe. The Tahoe was parked facing the victim’s vehicle as the victim and his friend left, and the Tahoe followed them out of the parking lot.
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Later footage showed a black Chevrolet Tahoe with Minnesota plates arriving at the Foundry Pub and parking next to the white Tahoe. Investigators say Tillman has been associated with the black Tahoe on multiple occasions. Bell was seen getting into the rear driver’s side of the black Tahoe before it left the area.
Video later captured the black Tahoe driving past Born’s Bar shortly before the shooting. At about 11:51 p.m., the Tahoe stopped next to the victim’s Impala. Seconds later, people outside the bar ran for cover as gunfire erupted. The Tahoe then left the area at a high rate of speed.
Phone records obtained during the investigation showed multiple calls between Tillman, Bell and another man throughout the evening, including calls that coincided with the vehicles meeting and leaving bar parking lots. Location data placed Tillman’s phone near Born’s Bar at the time of the shooting before traveling back toward Minneapolis.
On Jan. 15, 2026, officers executed search warrants as part of the investigation. Bell was arrested and later found to be in possession of more than seven grams of cocaine, according to the complaint.
That same day, officers searched Tillman’s Maplewood residence and recovered ammunition, multiple drum magazines and two rifles. Police later stopped Tillman driving the black Chevrolet Tahoe and took him into custody. A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of a Glock 10mm handgun hidden behind the entertainment system. Forensic testing determined the shell casings recovered outside Born’s Bar were fired from that handgun.
Tillman agreed to speak with investigators and acknowledged driving the Tahoe and being at the locations shown in surveillance footage, but denied shooting anyone. He told investigators he may have driven away after hearing gunshots and said he did not recall specific details from the incident. Bell also agreed to speak with investigators, confirmed he was working security that night, but denied shooting the victim and later requested an attorney.
Court records show Tillman has prior felony convictions for aggravated robbery and threats of violence, which prohibit him from possessing firearms or ammunition under Minnesota law.
Both men are charged with second-degree attempted murder and drive-by shooting. If convicted, the attempted murder charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, while the drive-by shooting charge carries up to 10 years. Tillman’s firearm possession charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years, and Bell’s drug charge carries a maximum sentence of five years.
