Steven Buford Gets 31 Years For Murdering Woman Outside West St. Paul Apartment Building

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 22-year-old Twin Cities man was sentenced Friday to 31 years in prison for fatally shooting a woman in the head and attempting to force another woman to drive him from the murder scene at gunpoint.

The Dakota County Attorney's Office says that Steven David Buford, of West St. Paul, was sentenced to 380 months in prison for the shooting on Sept. 4, 2020, which left 22-year-old Lauren Summer Koffi-n'guessan, also of West St. Paul, dead.

In November, Buford pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder and one count of attempted aggravated robbery. He will serve both sentences concurrently.

According to investigators, Buford shot Koffi-n'guessan in the head outside the Eagle Point Apartments on Oakdale Avenue in West St. Paul. She died at the scene.

Immediately after the shooting, Buford ran through the parking lot with an infant in his arms. As a woman drove up in her car, Buford dashed toward them, tossed the child at the driver through the window, and jumped in the backseat, landing on top of the driver's 7-year-old son.

Buford ordered the woman to drive off at gunpoint. However, officers reached the vehicle a moment later and arrested Buford.