Gunfire erupted at a busy Saint Paul intersection when a man in a grey hoodie opened fire on two men in an auto shop parking lot, prompting a shootout that left one man wounded and bullet holes in a passing van.
Michael Wayne Williams, 27, of Saint Paul, faces three felony charges: possessing a firearm as a person barred due to a crime of violence, drive-by shooting toward a person and second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon. The charges were filed June 23 in Ramsey County District Court.
According to the complaint, officers responded around 6:40 p.m. on May 26 to White Bear Avenue North and Maryland Avenue East after multiple witnesses reported a heavyset Black male fired a gun at a vehicle, whose occupants then fired back. Officers found spent 9mm and .40 caliber casings at the scene and discovered a man with a gunshot wound to his upper back nearby, later identified as the victim.
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The victim told officers he did not know who shot him and asked to be taken to the hospital.
A resident said she heard gunshots and saw the victim stop between two garages, toss an item into bushes and enter her home for help. A police canine found a Springfield .40 caliber handgun in the area where the victim had been seen discarding something. The handgun was out of ammunition.
Surveillance and dashcam video provided by witnesses showed the victim in a grey hoodie arguing with two men in the auto shop parking lot. The victim pulled out a gun and fired at the two men, who returned fire as they ran to a black SUV. One video showed the victim firing at a man in yellow shorts, who then got into the SUV’s driver’s seat while the passenger fired back at him from the window. The victim fled as the SUV chased him, and a passing cargo van was struck by gunfire, leaving two bullet holes.
Further investigation identified the SUV as a GMC Acadia registered to Sherrod Solomon Garrett. Dashcam footage showed Garrett, wearing yellow shorts, outside the Acadia, with the victim making animated gestures toward him. The victim produced a gun, racked it and fired, then walked toward the Acadia and fired three more times before fleeing.
Surveillance video from a nearby business showed Williams joining the victim and Garrett in conversation before the victim fired at Garrett. As Garrett ran away, Williams shot at the victim, and Garrett got into the driver’s seat.
The victim told police at the hospital that he was walking on Maryland Avenue when he heard gunshots from an unknown direction and was hit in the back. He denied having or firing a gun and later requested an attorney.
Williams is scheduled to appear in Ramsey County court on July 15, 2026.
About This Charge
Minnesota classifies assault by degree under § 609.221 (first), § 609.222 (second), § 609.223 (third), § 609.2231 (fourth) and § 609.224 (fifth). First-degree assault, alleging great bodily harm, carries up to 20 years in prison. The lower degrees range from gross-misdemeanor up to 10-year felony exposure depending on weapon use and harm.
Related MN CRIME Coverage
Minneapolis Man Charged in Saint Paul Drive-By Shooting • Gunfight in Saint Paul Leaves 1 Wounded, Suspect Charged • Saint Paul Man Dies Months After January Assault
Jurisdictional Context
Ramsey County encompasses Saint Paul and is served by the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office. Felony cases are heard in the Second Judicial District at the Ramsey County Courthouse in downtown Saint Paul; the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office operates the Ramsey County Correctional Facility in Maplewood.
