Man Charged After Shooting Cousin in Leg in Saint Paul
BY MN CRIME STAFF
A man is charged with a felony assault after authorities say he shot his cousin in the leg during a dispute outside a Saint Paul apartment building.
The shooting early saturday morning left the victim with a shattered bone that required surgery.
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Prosecutors say 24-year-old Elijah Makhi Towns fired the shot around 1:45 a.m. on Jan. 3 in the 400 block of Maryland Avenue West. Police were dispatched after a 911 caller reported a man with a gun and then said someone was lying in the street. Officers arrived and found a 26-year-old man on the south side of the roadway with a gunshot wound to his leg. He was taken to the hospital, where doctors determined his lower left leg bone was shattered and would require surgery
The victim told officers he had been with Towns, his cousin, when an argument escalated. His accounts of the moments leading up to the shooting varied, but investigators say surveillance video showed the two arguing in the street roughly 20 minutes before the 911 call. In the footage, Towns is seen pulling a handgun from a backpack and pointing it at the victim multiple times before the victim walks out of view. Police say the actual shooting was not captured on video.
Police interviewed the victim’s girlfriend, who said the argument began earlier inside a vehicle after Towns defended her during a dispute. She said Towns got out of the vehicle and walked away, with the victim following him. While she was inside her apartment using the bathroom, she heard what she described as a popping sound. When she went back outside, she saw the victim lying on the ground and Towns standing across the street. She told officers Towns was the only person she knew who had a firearm.
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Another resident reported hearing a gunshot and looking out a window to see a man holding a gun and pointing it at the victim, who was already on the ground. That resident described the shooter as wearing a light blue shirt, jeans and orange boxers and carrying a black backpack, and said the man later went inside the building.
Investigators learned Towns had entered an apartment in the building following the shooting. He was called out by police and taken into custody. During a search of the apartment, officers found a backpack containing a disassembled handgun along with clothing consistent with what was seen in surveillance video.
After being advised of his rights, Towns agreed to speak with investigators. He acknowledged arguing with the victim and admitted the gun was his. He initially said he did not know what happened, then said he might have shot the victim and later stated he believed he did. Towns claimed he fired a downward warning shot and said he did not intend to hit his cousin, describing the shooting as self-defense.
Towns is charged with second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon resulting in substantial bodily harm, a felony punishable by up to ten years in prison. Towns made an initial court appearance where bail was set at $100,000 with conditions including no contact with the victim.
