A man is charged with two counts of murder after prosecutors say he killed another man during an early-morning robbery attempt.
Both counts stem from a Jan. 13 shooting inside an apartment on the 6900 block of 76th Avenue North in Brooklyn Park.
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Sebestyen James Lamar Warren, 23, of Brooklyn Park, is charged with second-degree murder with intent but without premeditation and second-degree murder without intent while committing a felony.
According to the criminal complaint, Brooklyn Park police were dispatched around 2:45 a.m. after multiple 911 callers reported a shooting inside the apartment complex. Officers arrived to find people fleeing the building and dozens more inside common areas. On a third-floor stairwell, officers located an adult male suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. Police and firefighters attempted lifesaving measures, but the man was pronounced dead after being taken to a hospital.
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Investigators say the shooting occurred inside one of the third-floor units where the victim was the leaseholder and where a party had been underway. Officers entered the apartment and found a spent cartridge casing near the entryway and a small trail of blood leading toward where the victim collapsed.
Multiple people who were at the party told police there had been a conflict between the victim and several young men, at least two of whom were armed with handguns. The victim was also reported to have had a handgun. Several witnesses identified one of the men involved as “Dot,” later identified as Warren.
One witness told police they attempted to calm the situation when another man with Warren pulled out a handgun and held it to the witness’s head. That witness described the firearm as having a tan lower receiver. After the situation appeared to settle briefly, the witness said Warren invited the victim into the bathroom. The two went inside alone.
Moments later, the victim exited the bathroom. A single gunshot was heard, and the victim fell to the floor. Several witnesses reported Warren and others ran from the apartment and drove away before police arrived. As he left, Warren reportedly told people to call 911 to try to save the victim.
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Another witness told investigators they saw Warren walk from the rear of the apartment holding the victim’s gun. The witness said the victim chased after Warren, at which point Warren turned and fired the gun into the victim’s chest.
A third witness told police they knew Warren and the others with him and said the group was known for stealing firearms. That witness said the motive was to take the victim’s gun and that when the victim tried to stop Warren from leaving with it, he was shot. Investigators say recovered social media messages from another eyewitness corroborated that account.
Later that evening, around 7 p.m., Saint Paul police stopped a vehicle in which Warren was riding with two other men who had been at the apartment earlier. According to the complaint, officers found Warren in possession of a backpack containing multiple firearms and gun parts, including a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun with a laser and an obliterated serial number, a loaded Glock 17 with an extended magazine, and parts of a Girsan handgun. Police also recovered a gun barrel wrapped in a sock on Warren’s person. Investigators believe the Girsan handgun belonged to the victim. Forensic testing is pending.
In an interview with investigators, Warren gave shifting accounts. He initially claimed he did not remember having a backpack or who he was with because he was under the influence. He later acknowledged being at the apartment complex but denied being at the party or involved in the shooting. He also claimed he told others to call 911 after hearing a gunshot, despite insisting he was not inside. Investigators say Warren was adamant that the men he was with were not involved, even as he acknowledged being upset earlier when the victim searched him.
Warren remains in custody with bail set at $1 million. If convicted, he faces up to 40 years in prison on each count.