After Recent Shootings, St. Paul Residents Call For An End To Violence

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A man is charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of a St. Paul woman.

Alvin Bell is accused of shooting Sarah Wierstad outside her home on Sunday evening near the corner of Bedford and Beaumont streets.

The death of the 24-year-old mother is the third in what has been a violent week in the Twin Cities.

"I want her back, and nothing's going to change that," said Lisa Sabatine, Wierstad's cousin.

The 24-year-old took her final breaths outside her apartment. She was shot after arriving home after an apparent burglary.

Wierstad is one of three people killed in the east side of St. Paul since last Wednesday.

"All I know is that she didn't deserve this, at all," Sabatine said. "This violence has to stop."

One of Wierstad's friends, Lakenya Scott, not only lost Wierstad last week, she also said goodbye to her cousin, who was killed during a shooting on the Earl Street bridge, not far from Wierstad's home.

"Everybody is just trying to come together to help and figure out what's going on with our city right now," Scott said.

City leaders are asking the same questions.

"It is not acceptable to see the violence we've seen over the last few weeks," said St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman.

St. Paul police plan to put more officers on the streets. Churches and community activists want each citizen to take responsibility, too.

"No one wants anyone in their family targeted for no reason," said The Rev. Gloria Roach Thomas of Camphor Memorial United Methodist. "So we're asking the violence stop in this community. We're asking parents, know where they're children are after a certain time."

For those who loved Wierstad, the push towards ending the violence came too late.

"It's just going to hurt, because she was taken too soon," Sabatine said.

Police have made arrests in two of the shootings on St. Paul's east side.

They say the big problem is that people who have information about gun violence don't always come forward.

Wierstad leaves behind a young daughter.

A memorial fund has been set up to help her daughter at Northern States Power St. Paul Credit Union on Rice Street in St. Paul.