Following Violence In St. Paul, Coleman Calls For Emphasis On Equity

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- After an explosion in gun violence over the weekend, St. Paul is laying out plans to combat the bloodshed.

Two people have been killed in separate shootings and several others have been hurt in the last two days. Moreover, there have been 30 reports of shots fired since Friday, and police have made several arrests.

Mayor Chris Coleman addressed the violence Tuesday in his State of the City address.

"We grieve every time a life is lost in the city of St. Paul," the mayor said.

The two people who died in the last two days were 18-year-old Bobby Collins, of St. Paul, and 31-year-old Charles Hudson, of South St. Paul.

Collins was fatally shot Sunday night at Indian Mounds Regional Park.

Police arrested 24-year-old Prince Kavanaugh Williams and 18-year-old Rashawn Donell Porter in connection to the shooting, which happened when hundreds of people were reportedly in the park.

Hudson was shot Monday night. Police found him in the street in front of an apartment building on Magnolia Avenue.

Emergency crews brought him to a hospital, where he later died.

Police say it's unclear if the recent acts of violence are connected, but they all share one similarity.

"We're dealing with a problem right now, and it's a serious problem," said Sgt. Mike Ernster. "We're dealing with people who think it's OK to resort to violence, extreme violence involving firearms, to settle their differences. And we're not going to stand for it."

2015 saw the most homicides in the past five years in St. Paul. This year, seven people have already been killed.

"Too many lives lost, too many parents grieving, too many families shattered," said Coleman on Tuesday.

He says the numbers don't lie.

"Ramsey County continues to have the highest rate of people living in poverty of any county in the state," he added.

While the mayor cited examples of growth in the city, like the Green Line light rail system and CHS Field, he said more emphasis needs to be put on equity in education and employment.

"We are strong," he said. "We will be at our strongest when everyone is strong in this community."

As part of the city's Safe Summer Nights initiative, there will be a community gathering at Indian Mounds Regional Park Thursday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The mayor says he will also hold a public meeting Wednesday with leaders in the African American community as well as the police chief.

Meanwhile, St. Paul police said they are creating a shooting response team. The department is also working with the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office, Metro Transit Police, the ATF, and the FBI to address the problem of gun violence.