A 52-year-old woman was shot and wounded in her St. Paul backyard, and police said Tuesday they do not believe she was the intended target.
She was among four people wounded in unrelated shootings over a six-hour period in St. Paul from Monday night through early Tuesday.
The woman was in her yard about 9:20 p.m. when a bullet ripped through a metal roof she was sitting under and struck her in the lower leg on Marshall Avenue, a couple of blocks from Dale Street, said Sgt. Mike Ernster, a St. Paul police spokesman. She appears to be “an innocent victim,” he said.
Around the same time, gunshots were reported in the area of Central Avenue and Dale Street, and officers found shell casings, Ernster said. It’s unknown whether that incident was related to the woman who was injured.
A couple of hours earlier, at about 7:25 p.m. Monday, officers responded to the Burns Avenue overlook near U.S. 10 after callers reported 20 shots being fired, and people fleeing in vehicles and running away, Ernster said.
Individuals brought a 26-year-old man, who sustained a graze wound to the head, and a 19-year-old man, who was shot in the back, to Regions Hospital. Both had non-life threatening injuries, according to police.
Preliminary information indicated that an altercation between a group of people gathered at the overlook led to the shots being fired, Ernster said.
Then, on Tuesday at 1:15 a.m., an officer on patrol heard gunshots in the area of University Avenue and Asbury Street. He saw people running through the area as he drove to where he thought the shots came from, and officers found shell casings.
Someone dropped off a 23-year-old man, who had been shot in the leg, at Regions Hospital.
Police were continuing to investigate Tuesday who was responsible for each of the shootings.
Gun violence has been up in St. Paul and Minneapolis this year. In St. Paul, there had been 107 people shot, at least 13 of them fatally, as of Monday; that number does not include those wounded on Monday night. Through the end of June 2019, 70 people had been shot in St. Paul.
The U.S. Attorney for Minnesota announced last week a new Twin Cities Violent Crime Task Force in response to gun violence. People can submit tips by calling 800-CALLFBI (800-225-5324).