After six years of homicides numbering at least 30 in St. Paul, there have been half as many this year.

The decrease is important, said St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry, but “I’m very hesitant to say any of this is good news. I’m never going to be happy until the number is zero.”

Fifteen people died in acts of violence as of Friday, the lowest number in a dozen years in St. Paul. There were 33 homicides in St. Paul last year.

Henry said officers and investigators’ work that’s led to reductions in homicides is focused on “identifying where people are at risk early on,” which includes recovering firearms, solving more nonfatal shootings, and looking for warning signs before domestic violence becomes deadly.

Three of this year’s homicides were women whose former or current romantic partner is charged with murder — and during each of the cases a young child or children were in the residence — and at least two other homicides were related to domestic violence.

Many of the other homicides were matters that “escalated up” to a level that doesn’t “warrant that type of response,” Henry said. “People getting overly upset and shooting or harming each other.”

Even with police and community groups trying to prevent violence, there are elements of luck, Henry said.

For nearly the first two months of this year, there were no homicides in St. Paul. And the first homicide by gun violence didn’t happen until May 28.

There were 63 homicides in Minneapolis as of Friday, compared with 76 throughout 2024, according to city data, a 17 percent decrease.

Minneapolis has matched the trend throughout the U.S., with the Council on Criminal Justice finding a 17 percent decline in homicides in 30 cities as of mid-2025 compared to the same time in 2024.

How pushing down nonfatal shootings reduces homicides

The St. Paul Police Department started a nonfatal shooting unit at the beginning of 2024, dedicating investigators to such cases. Previously, homicide investigators were assigned to both fatal and nonfatal assaults but focused their efforts on deadly cases. The clearance rate for nonfatal shootings had been 28 percent in 2022 and climbed to 61 percent this year.

The people most likely to commit gun violence are also the people most likely to be victims of gun violence, Henry said.

“When we start to go and intervene at that level, we’re catching people or plugging them in with resources before they’ve completed a murder,” he said.

As of Dec. 22, 73 people had been injured in shootings in St. Paul, compared to 191 during the same time period in 2022.

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Reports of shots fired without injuries have also plummeted: The department is on pace to take 1,023 reports this year, compared with 2,256 in 2022.

Other major crime categories have decreased, including robbery, burglary and carjackings. Vehicle thefts are fewer than half of what they were when Henry became police chief in November 2022. Fatal overdoses are trending down.

There has been an uptick in reports of sexual assaults this year. Because it’s such an underreported crime, Henry said he aims to have conversations with victim advocates to find out if the numbers are a result of more people reporting or if there have been more instances of such assaults.

Theft reports fell from about 8,200 in 2022 to fewer than 6,000 in 2023 and about 5,700 last year. This year, there have been approximately 5,900 reports.

A look at the victims and cases in St. Paul

Before 2019, when the homicide numbers started rising in St. Paul, the city averaged 17 homicides a year between 2010 and 2018. The lowest number in recent years was 13 homicides in 2014 and the last time there were 15 homicides was 2013.

In this year’s 15 St. Paul homicides, charges have been brought in all except one. In another case, a double homicide, police say two men shot and killed each other.

The Pioneer Press looked back at the people killed this year, and what police and prosecutors described in each case:

Sefiya Churiso Datu, 29

St. Paul police were investigating a fatal stabbing in the 400 block of Central Avenue on Feb. 26, 2025. Kedu Husen Buseri was later charged, accused of killing his wife, Sefiya Churiso Datu. (Courtesy of the St. Paul Police Department)

Police responded to a 911 call from Kedu Husen Buseri, 34, on Feb. 26, 2025. They found his wife, Datu, bleeding on the ground in the home where they stayed on Central Avenue near Western Avenue. The couple’s infant was on a bed nearby. Although officers found blood on the baby, the child was not injured.

Buseri had a small cut on one hand. “She cut me … I cut her,” authorities allege that Buseri said. An autopsy showed Datu had “multiple sharp force injuries to her head, face, neck, right ear, torso, arms, hands and back” and a deep wound to her neck.

During police questioning, Buseri said that he and his wife argued after he accused her of being unfaithful. When asked if he had killed his wife, Buseri said, “Yes,” according to the criminal complaint.

A judge found that due to Buseri’s mental illness or cognitive impairment, he was not legally competent to proceed in his murder case. The criminal case is suspended, though Buseri remains in custody. Buseri was civilly committed as mentally ill with civil court proceedings continuing.

Jay’Mier K. Givens, 19

Officers found Givens collapsed on Sixth Street near Birmingham Street, near an address he wasn’t connected with, the night of March 31. He’d been stabbed 22 times, with most of the wounds to his back and one to his neck.

Police later arrested Jeremy Joe Davila, 17, and a 14-year-old. Investigators interviewed the 14-year-old’s girlfriend, who told police that Givens threatened over Snapchat to kill her 1½-year-old son, according to a juvenile petition against Davila.

The 14-year-old told police that on March 31 — when he, Davila and Givens met up and were smoking marijuana — he asked Givens “why he said that stuff” about his girlfriend’s son, who he regarded as his “stepson.”

He said Givens pulled a knife on him. Davila, who the 14-year-old said always carried a knife, stabbed Givens and the younger teen also did, the petition said of his account.

Davila was certified to adult court and pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting murder on Dec. 5. He’s scheduled to be sentenced in January.

There isn’t public information about what happened to the younger teen after his arrest, due to his age.

Christine Morris, 33

Christine Morris (Courtesy of GoFundMe)

Morris was the mother of a 2-year-old and had her own catering business, Chrissy’s Authentic Jamaican Food.

About seven months before she was fatally stabbed at home on May 2, Morris told a friend that if she or her daughter ended up dead or missing, Joseph Davis would be the person responsible, according to a criminal complaint. She and Davis were the parents of the 2-year-old and lived together on Edmund Avenue near Farrington Street.

Davis, 34, was sentenced in 2023 for domestic assault against Morris and in 2024 for violating a domestic abuse no-contact order involving Morris.

A friend of Morris’ told police she was out with her the night before, and Davis was messaging Morris throughout the evening and accusing her of infidelity. Police responded to the couple’s home about 5:15 the next morning after Davis called a family member, saying he’d killed Morris, “he was sorry” and had left their child in the home, the complaint said. The child wasn’t physically injured.

A SWAT team arrested Davis at the apartment of a woman who said she’d met him on a dating app and they’d been talking for a month.

Davis has pleaded not guilty to murder.

A GoFundMe (gofund.me/b15a431bd) is raising funds for Morris’ daughter “for education, emotional support, basic living needs, or anything that can help ease the burden in the days, months, and years ahead.”

James Q. Baker, 20

St. Paul police investigate a shooting death in the 600 block of Stryker Avenue on May 28, 2025. (Courtesy of the St. Paul Police Department)

As police investigated the shooting of Baker on May 28 on Stryker Avenue near Morton Street, they learned there had been a domestic assault at the same apartment three days earlier. A woman said a man, who she referred to as her ex-boyfriend, had assaulted her.

A daughter of the woman said there was “a long history of domestic abuse between” the man and her mother, who “often has her sons intervene with (the man) instead of the police,” said a criminal complaint against the man.

On May 28, one of the woman’s sons discovered the man was back at her apartment and became upset. A short time later, three men knocked on the apartment door and tried to push their way in. They wore masks, though the woman recognized them, including one as her son. One of the other people, Baker, pushed his way inside.

The woman said she brought her revolver to the door during the early part of the incident. She said she fell over and the gun fell to the floor. She said the man must have picked up the gun and shot Baker, according to another complaint. She reported the man fled out the window.

Prosecutors did not charge the man with murder; he was charged with felony domestic assault and possession of a firearm by a person prohibited for having been convicted of a crime of violence. He pleaded guilty to the latter and the domestic assault case was dismissed.

The man’s attorney sought a downward departure in sentencing, writing in a court record that the man, “while resisting an armed home invasion by three people, momentarily possessed a firearm legally owned by his significant other.”

Baker’s mother wrote in a victim impact statement that her son “was taken (while) trying to help someone he cared for. … My son mattered, his life mattered.”

Over the objection of the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office, which was seeking a longer sentence, the man was sentenced Dec. 19 to 360 days of house arrest, with credit for 40 days, and is allowed to leave for work. He was ordered to go through domestic violence programming.

Steffon Jennings, 37

Steffon T. Jennings (Courtesy of GoFundMe)

Jennings was fatally shot on his birthday on July 20 at a homeless encampment over a drug debt, according to a criminal complaint.

“He was a protector, a leader, a father of 4 with a beautiful soul, & truly a peacemaker,” his sister wrote on GoFundMe (gofund.me/64e24f4e0).

At the encampment in the area of East Maryland Avenue and Jackson Street, officers spoke to a man who said Jennings owed money to a group of three who had been selling fentanyl there for about a week. He said he saw the three running after the shooting.

Francisco Diaz-Xique, now 22, of Aitkin, Minn., has pleaded not guilty to murder, and his court case is ongoing.

James D. Thurber, 54

James D. Thurber with his grandchild. (Courtesy of the family)

Thurber’s daughter says he got to meet his only grandchild before he was killed, and he fell in love.

“He was actively trying to better not only himself but those around him,” Megan Fritz said. “It’s unfortunate and senseless that he didn’t get more time.”

Officers responded to the North End on July 13 and found Thurber on the ground, bleeding from a large laceration on his head. He was hospitalized in critical condition with a traumatic brain injury until he died Aug. 3.

A man told police that Thurber and Daniel Pen-mong Moua, now 21, used to do “scrapping” together before they had a falling-out, according to a criminal complaint.

A police search of the garage of Moua’s home in the 600 block of Hyacinth Avenue turned up a tire iron with dried blood on it inside a plastic bag, the complaint said. Moua, who is charged with murder, has pleaded not guilty and his case is ongoing.

Jeff S. Matson, 43

Jeff Matson, who enjoyed gardening, holds cucumbers from his and his fiancée’s garden. (Courtesy of the family)

Matson worked at CHS Field in St. Paul since its opening day in 2015. He was a “beer hawker,” running up and down the stands, greeting St. Paul Saints fans and making them laugh.

“His voice was recognizable to all who attended games and events at CHS Field,” said Derek Sharrer, Saints president.

Matson and his fiancée, Michelle Wefel, had recently moved from St. Paul’s Merriam Park to the East Side, and he took her bike on Aug. 7 to the Midway Saloon on University Avenue near Snelling Avenue.

A bar manager told investigators that bouncer Davarius Lamonte Clark, 29, and Matson argued because Matson brought his bike inside the business. The manager told Clark that Matson could keep his bike inside as long as Matson kept an eye on it.

Surveillance video also showed the two men arguing outside the bar. A criminal complaint said the video showed Clark holding a gun and Matson spitting on him. Matson was shot and died in surgery.

Matson was originally from Wilmar, graduated from the University of Minnesota and, although he lived in St. Paul, he wanted to be in Arizona, Wefel said.

He was interested in politics, history, adventuring through mountains, boating, gardening, bingo, movies, and playing and watching sports. He played tennis as often as he could and basketball when he wasn’t.

“He finally asked me to marry him, after eight years of being together,” Wefel said. “I’d say he was also a patient man, but most definitely, the kind that can’t be replaced.”

Clark pleaded not guilty to murder this month and his case is continuing.

Levon T. Washington

Levon T. Washington, 26, of Minneapolis, was fatally shot in St. Paul’s Frogtown neighborhood on Aug. 16, 2025, police said. (Courtesy of St. Paul Police Department)

Kireice Plez-Sachet Williams, 24, is accused of shooting and injuring two people — a teen last December and another person in July, both in Minneapolis — before he was charged with fatally shooting Washington on Aug. 16 on Edmund Avenue near Farrington Street in St. Paul.

Williams was out of jail on bond in the first shooting and prosecutors charged him in the July shooting after he was already in custody for Washington’s homicide.

A witness identified the shooter as Williams. She said he came over and did a large amount of cocaine in front of everyone.

Another person said Washington and the shooter argued about “which side they were on” and Washington told him, “I don’t know you,” according to the criminal complaint. The shooter then said, “I’ll shoot you right now,” pulled out a firearm and shot him.

Williams has pleaded not guilty to murder and his court case is ongoing.

Melvin A. Martinez Altamirano, 33

A woman reported that she and Martinez Altamirano, of Madison, Wis., were on a first date. She said he got jealous after multiple men made advances on her, and they were kicked out of Cancun Night Club because he was upset.

Surveillance video showed she and Martinez Altamirano walked into the parking lot of the Blues Saloon on Rice Street near Wheelock Parkway. The building is used by the nightclub on weekends.

A security guard, Jose Eucario Conejo Marquez, stepped between them, punched Martinez Altamirano in the head, “closed in” and punched him again, according to a criminal complaint. Martinez Altamirano fell to the ground and was hospitalized with a brain bleed. He died the next day, Oct. 6.

Conejo Marquez, now 29, is charged with manslaughter. He hasn’t entered a plea and his next hearing is in January.

Lasean T. Williams, 28, and Lawrence A. Harris, 30

Police say Williams and Harris died in an apparent shootout early Oct. 31.

Harris was found shot on Front Avenue between Mackubin and Arundel streets. Meanwhile, someone drove Williams to a nearby fire station.

Williams and Harris, who police said knew each other, sustained multiple gunshot wounds.

“During an argument, two men pulled handguns on each other and fired, killing each other,” said Senior Cmdr. Wes Denning, who’s in charge of the homicide unit. “The confrontation was the result of somewhat of a love triangle.”

Derrick Lee White, 61

St. Paul Police investigate a death that occurred on the 1500 block of Westminster Street on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025. (Courtesy of the St. Paul Police Department)

A woman called 911 on Nov. 14 and said she’d been attacked and had defended herself, according to search warrant affidavits. Police found White with a stab wound to his back and apparent injuries to his head in his apartment on Westminster Street near Arlington Avenue.

The 36-year-old who called 911, who Denning said was staying at the apartment, had cuts on her hands, two bite marks to her upper arm and an injury to her knee.

The woman reported that White had threatened her with a handgun, and officials found a gun in his pants.

Police have presented the case to the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office to make a determination about whether the woman acted in self-defense or if she should be charged, Denning said.

Tarik H. Hassan, 32

Tarik H. Hassan (Courtesy of the family)

Hassan’s mother said he was taken from them too soon.

“He had the biggest heart and kindest soul, and was always there to lend a helping hand to anyone who needed it,” Sheryl Hassan said. “He had an amazing ability to make anyone smile. He touched so many lives with his love, humor, friendship, and fierce loyalty to all he loved.”

A witness reported that Hassan tried to calm a friend, Spencer Curtis McAloney, for more than an hour — McAloney was on drugs and paranoid — before McAloney shot him Nov. 30 at an apartment on Victoria Street near Englewood Avenue, according to a criminal complaint.

Michael D. Tucker, 49

Tucker was found shot in the street on Case Avenue near Edgerton Street on Dec. 4, after he received a call and went outside.

Investigators identified a vehicle that had been seen driving around the neighborhood. It was registered to a man who was going through a divorce with Ryshaun Rhodes, 36, the complaint said.

Rhodes later told police that Tucker offered her a way “to make easy money,” which she needed due to the divorce and losing her job. Tucker agreed to buy $700 in cocaine from Rhodes, but said he he needed to step away to try a sample first, according to the complaint.

Tucker returned, complained about the quality, and she said he tried to steal the rest of the cocaine.

Rhodes’ brother, Derek Alonzo Mitchell, told police he was in the back of her vehicle and emerged, after which he shot Tucker, the complaint said.

In an earlier statement to police, Rhodes said Tucker had brandished a handgun and she had been the one to pull her own gun and shoot Tucker.

The siblings were both recently charged with aiding and abetting murder.

Shaniya D. Thompson, 29

Shaniya D. Thompson (Courtesy of GoFundMe)

Thompson’s sister said she was “a devoted mother of five beautiful children whose lives have been forever changed.”

She and Wesley B. Koboi had children together and he showed up for one child’s  birthday on Dec. 11. He is charged with shooting Thompson in her apartment on Broadway Street near downtown and close to Interstates 94/35E and East Seventh Street.

“These children witnessed the unthinkable, and now they are left not only grieving their mother but also facing trauma that no child should ever endure,” sister Shayna Jason wrote on GoFundMe (gofund.me/93e3c75b4).

Koboi, 33, told the children they were going to leave, and drove them to Grand Rapids, Mich., where his mother lives. He and the children arrived the morning of Dec. 12 and he departed soon after, leaving the children with his mom.

Investigators learned through federal law enforcement officers that Koboi crossed the border into Canada on foot from Michigan late Dec. 12, according to a criminal complaint. He had booked a flight to Mexico.

Toronto police took Koboi into custody at a Toronto airport on Dec. 16. Extradition information wasn’t listed in his court file as of Friday.

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