CHARGES: Man Ambushed Ex-Girlfriend, Gunned Down Her Boyfriend
A man has been arrested and charged in connection with a fatal shooting early Wednesday on the 1300 block of Olson Memorial Highway in Minneapolis. Police responded to the report of a shooting just after midnight when a 911 caller said that her boyfriend had been shot and was unresponsive.
Officers arrived at the scene to find the male victim lying on the sidewalk and with a single gunshot wound to his lower left abdomen. Despite receiving immediate medical attention from paramedics, the victim was pronounced dead at the hospital.
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The 911 caller told police that she and her boyfriend were walking along the sidewalk when they encountered a man hiding in the bushes near her building. The victim suggested they turn back, but as they approached her apartment building, the man emerged from the bushes and ran toward them. She told police the suspect was Ryan Deshawn Taylor, 41, of Minneapolis.
According to the girlfriend, she threatened to call the police, and in response, Taylor pulled out a handgun from his pocket and fired a single shot into the victim’s abdomen. Taylor then fled the scene before police arrived.
Investigators say the girlfriend had known Taylor for over a decade and had previously been in a casual, on-and-off romantic relationship with him. She mentioned receiving messages from Taylor on the evening of July 4, requesting cigarettes. She confirmed Taylor was the shooter and identified him from a photograph.
On July 6, 2023, Taylor was apprehended. Surveillance video from Taylor’s apartment showed him returning home shortly after the shooting, wearing the same clothing described by the 911 caller. The footage also revealed Taylor carrying a handgun in a holster on his hip.
During a post-Miranda interview, Taylor admitted to the ongoing romantic relationship with the 911 caller. He claimed that she had invited him to her apartment, where he encountered the victim and subsequently shot him. Taylor stated that the firearm he used could be found in his bedroom closet, but investigators did not recover the weapon during a search of his residence.
Taylor was charged with two counts of 2nd-degree murder and remains jailed on $1 million bond. Taylor faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted.
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