Police investigators determined that Soto, who was stationed in San Diego, and his friends clashed with a group of men inside a nightclub.
Both groups were asked by club staff to leave the nightspot, and they continued arguing outside for about 30 minutes. At one point, Benness walked away and Soto followed. That’s when Benness drew a gun and shot Soto twice.
Benness and the three others with him fled on foot, and Benness shortly afterward took a Greyhound bus back to St. Cloud.
The investigators identified Benness as the shooter and the others “through a combination of public and private security footage, license plate readers, witness interviews, and tireless investigative work,” a statement from San Diego police read.
About 10:30 a.m. Oct. 16, 2024, St. Cloud police found Benness and arrested him while he was a passenger in a vehicle downtown at N. 2nd Street and 10th Avenue N.