Taral Holmes Charged In St. Paul Bar Shooting
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - A 36 year-old St. Paul man faces serious charges after he allegedly shot multiple rounds at a bar in a Jan. 14 incident.
Taral Holmes has been charged in Ramsey County for attempted murder, possession of a firearm, and possession of ammunition.
According to the criminal complaint, officers responded to Born's Bar in St. Paul at 10:15 p.m. on account of a shooting. When they arrived, they found three 9mm casings on the street in front of the bar.
Surveillance video showed Holmes entering the bar around 10 p.m. Holmes set off the metal detector, and while performing a pat-search, a bouncer found he was carrying a handgun. Holmes was then denied entry into the bar.
Outside the bar, Holmes through a punch at a man, hitting him in the head and neck. He then pulled out his handgun and shot multiple rounds in the direction of man, who had started to flee. The shooting target got up from the ground and did not appear to have been struck by gunfire. Nobody went to the hospital with gunshot wounds after the incident.
Later, a St. Paul Police Officer looked up still photos of the suspect with the Gang Unit, and was able to identify him as Holmes. According to court documents, the bouncer then identified Holmes from a photo line-up.
On Jan. 22, Holmes was arrested in Burnsville. He was approaching a Buick LaCrosse when he saw the police coming; he then dropped a backpack he was carrying, which held a 50-round capacity drum machine. Inside the console of the car, officers found a Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun.
The Buick's owner, Homes' girlfriend, told police there should not be a gun in her car. Though she had obtained a permit to purchase a handgun, but she had not yet bought a gun.
Holmes has four prior felony convictions including drug possession, assault in the second degree, and two possessions of a pistol by an ineligible person. The drug and assault convictions make Holmes ineligible to purchase firearms.
If convicted, Holmes could face up to 50 years in jail
