An 18-year-old Saint Paul man drove a group of juveniles to an occupied family home twice in three days while they opened fire on the house, according to charges filed in Ramsey County District Court.
Ayden Chayue Lee faces two felony counts of aiding and abetting a drive-by shooting toward an occupied building, one for each shooting. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. A warrant was issued for his arrest, with bail set at $50,000.
According to the complaint, officers responded at about 11:15 p.m. on February 9 to a report of a shooting in the 1100 block of Desoto Street. The home had been struck by gunfire while a man was inside with his wife, their eight children and two grandchildren. Officers recovered 11 spent casings, two live rounds and a bullet fragment at the scene.
Two days later, at about 8:45 p.m. on February 11, officers were called back to the same home for another shooting. Residents were again inside. Callers reported hearing six to eight gunshots and seeing two people running from the area. Officers recovered several spent 9mm casings of four different brands near the home and found two bullet fragments inside, one in a first-floor bathroom and another upstairs.
Surveillance video from February 11 showed two males walk up to the home, stop in front of it and fire multiple rounds before running away. A witness heard the shots and saw the taller of the two run to a small silver SUV parked nearby, where two other people were waiting. All three got in and drove off. Additional footage showed the SUV, possibly a Toyota RAV4, leaving the area.
A resident told police that months earlier, during a Hmong New Year soccer tournament, he and a relative were confronted by a group of juveniles calling themselves “Born to Kill.” He said one of them asked whether he was in a gang, then threw a punch, and a fight broke out involving about eight people against the two of them.
A report from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives found a potential link between the casings recovered from the two shootings.
Investigators later found a gold 2005 Toyota RAV4 matching the vehicle in the footage, and license plate readers placed it in the area on the night of each shooting. Lee told police he is the regular driver of the RAV4 and that no one else drives it except his parents.
Lee initially denied any knowledge of the shootings. In a later interview, he admitted driving to the home on both nights, according to the complaint. He said that on February 9 he drove three people to the house, including one who wore a mask, and that they told him where to park and said they were going to do something. He heard several gunshots before the trio ran back to the SUV, and he later dropped them off. He said they took their guns with them.
On February 11, Lee said, he drove two of the juveniles, picked up a third and returned to the home, where two of them fired at the house. Afterward the group went to McDonald’s and Lee dropped the others off. He denied knowing why the house was targeted but said the others told him someone they did not like lived there.
Two juveniles admitted to investigators that they fired at the home, according to the complaint. One admitted to shooting on both dates. The other initially denied involvement, then said, “I did it,” after being confronted with evidence, including phone data placing him near the scene. One of the juveniles told investigators the driver was known to him as “Milo,” and Lee admitted some people call him that. MN CRIME is not identifying the juveniles because of their ages, and their cases are not addressed in Lee’s complaint.
The charges were filed Tuesday, July 28, in Ramsey County District Court.
About This Charge
Minnesota’s weapons offenses include § 624.713 (felon in possession of a firearm, five-year mandatory minimum for a prior crime of violence), § 609.66 (dangerous weapons, including drive-by shooting at § 609.66 subd. 1e) and § 609.165 (firearm restoration after a felony). Discharge of a firearm within a municipality is charged under § 609.66 subd. 1a.
Related MN CRIME Coverage
Saint Paul Man Fired at Vehicle in Drive-By Shooting • Felon Found with Rifle During Saint Paul Traffic Stop • CHARGES: Man Broke into Girlfriend’s Home, Grabbed Her Gun
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.
