Man found shot in Mpls. alley dies; St. Paul police investigate death

Steve Linders, St. Paul police
Spokesperson Steve Linders
Russell Barnes | MPR News

Updated Oct. 20., 1 p.m., | Posted Oct. 19, 7:10 a.m.

Police are investigating two deaths in Minneapolis and St. Paul on Sunday.

Police responded to a report of shots fired about 10 p.m., just north of Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park in south Minneapolis. They found a man with gunshot wounds lying in the alley. He was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center where he died of his injuries.

No suspects have been identified, and police believe the assailant or assailants fled.

The shooting follows a spate of deadly gun violence in the Twin Cities: five people were fatally shot, three in Minneapolis and two in St. Paul during a three-day stretch last week.

In St. Paul, police said they are investigating a death in the city's Railroad Island neighborhood east of downtown.

On Tuesday, the department identified the victim as Sarah Anne Wierstad, 24, of St Paul, but didn't release any details on the nature of the death.

St. Paul police spokesperson Steve Linders says it was the 10th homicide in the city so far this year.

"We can all agree that's 10 too many," he said. "The neighborhood is concerned, the entire city is concerned. And frankly, we as a police department are fed up. We are taking officers from specialty units and we're putting them in areas where we've seen increased activity."

Police say a child between the ages of 5 and 10 may have been involved in the incident. Authorities say the child was located and is safe.

No arrests have been made.