Man With 10 Felonies Accused in Late-Night Saint Paul Shooting

Sep 1

A man is charged with attempted murder after prosecutors say he fired through a Saint Paul apartment window last month, injuring another man and narrowly missing others inside the room.

Dontae Martez Williamson, 47, was charged with attempted second-degree murder and first-degree assault with great bodily harm.

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According to the criminal complaint, officers were called to the 400 block of Maryland Avenue West around 12:49 a.m. on July 18 and found a man with a gunshot wound to his right hand. The victim, who had recently moved to Minnesota, said he had been sitting on a bed when he reached out to share his lighter and heard a “pow.” He initially thought the lighter had exploded, but realized he had been shot. The bullet struck his right ring finger, which was left partially attached. Doctors later amputated the finger up to the first knuckle.

Police found a bullet hole through the window and collected two bullet fragments inside. The blinds were closed and lights were on at the time of the shooting. No shell casings were found outside.

The apartment renter told officers a man with long dreadlocks and crutches had come by earlier in the evening asking for the other man in the bedroom. That man later identified the shooter as “DW” and said he had taken his belongings during a dispute in 2003. He told officers he’d recently “got [his] lick back,” and that DW had broken his leg in Duluth earlier this summer.

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Surveillance video captured a light-colored Saturn sedan arriving just after 12:30 a.m. and parking on the street. A person using crutches was seen approaching the apartment and returning briefly before crossing back to the window around 12:47 a.m. A woman who arrived in a Ford Flex was also seen near the window. Moments later, video showed a muzzle flash and the apartment lights turned off. The shooter retrieved the crutches and left in the Saturn.

Officers recovered two cigarette butts from the shooting location. Investigators later identified Williamson based on the Duluth incident and other evidence. Williamson had reported being robbed to Minneapolis police on July 30 and provided a phone number, which was later tied to locations near the shooting scene. Cell data showed the phone was in the area around the time of the gunfire and left minutes later.

Williamson was arrested Aug. 28 after returning to Minnesota from Texas. In an interview, he admitted knowing both men in the apartment and said one owed him $90 for crack. “He didn’t owe me nothin’ for me to hurt him…I just wanted him to give me my money,” he said. He denied returning to the apartment or firing the gun.

Prosecutors say Williamson has 10 prior felony convictions, including for felon in possession of a firearm, third-degree assault, and first-degree burglary. The new charges include enhancements based on his record and firearm use. He remains in custody in lieu of $500,000 bail with conditions barring him from contacting the victim.

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