Arrest in St. Paul murder case: Police say victim was 'targeted and executed'

St. Paul, Minnesota (Fox 9) – A Minneapolis man is facing murder charges in connection with a fatal shooting in St. Paul last week in which an Iowa man was “targeted and executed” by two gunmen, police said.

background

On Tuesday, September 17, at 12:20 a.m., St. Paul police responded to reports of a shooting in the parking lot behind the Twelve22 Apartments on University Avenue West, near North Griggs Street.

Officers discovered the victim, later identified as Lul Dak Chak, a 32-year-old man from Ames, Iowa, lying on the ground. Despite emergency response, Chak was pronounced dead at the scene.

New details

On Friday, charges were filed against Kueth Chuol Ngut, 22, of Minneapolis, in connection with Chak's death. Ngut is charged with two counts of murder, including one under Minnesota's drive-by shooting law.

According to the indictment, on the night of the murder, police attempted to stop a Subaru that ran a red light near Hamline Avenue North and St. Anthony Avenue, about two blocks from the crime scene, but the driver fled the scene and sped away from police on city streets.

Moments later, 911 calls came in reporting the shooting behind the Twelve22 Apartments. Investigators later determined that the Subaru was connected to the shooting.

Witness statements

A witness at the scene told police that a gunman got out of the passenger seat of a vehicle and fired several shots at Chak and his friends outside the building. Chak was shot nine times in the torso, neck and face.

Another witness said the victim was trying to buy drugs when the shooting occurred. This witness, who was Chak's cousin, also said Chak jumped in front of her to protect her from the gunfire.

The shooting was also captured on surveillance footage, which shows two men getting out of the Subaru – the driver and the passenger. Both suspects opened fire, with the driver walking toward Chak's body and firing shots while the victim lay on the ground. After the shooting, the suspects fled the scene in the Subaru.

According to St. Paul police, video evidence suggests Chak was “targeted to death.”

Pursuit of the suspect

During the attempted traffic stop, police were able to obtain the Subaru's license plate number, which led them to the vehicle's registered owner: Ngut's girlfriend. She told investigators that Ngut had been driving the vehicle the night of the shooting.

That same night, Ngut had sent her a text message claiming the Subaru was missing, but it later turned up on a towed truck, with no license plate. Ngut claimed he eventually found the vehicle but couldn't get it to run, so he had it towed.

When officers searched Ngut's apartment, they discovered a pistol with ammunition matching the shell casings found at the scene of Chak's murder. Police also found a blood-stained white towel in the apartment building's trash.

In surveillance video from the night of the shooting, officers saw the Subaru being towed back to the residence and Ngut taking items from the car, including throwing away a white towel.

Ngut reportedly reacted hostilely when questioned by officers and refused to speak to police.

What happens next?

Ngut is currently being held in the Ramsey County Jail. He made his first court appearance Friday and is expected to appear again next month.

It is unclear whether police were able to identify the other person who was allegedly in the Subaru with Ngut.

According to police, Ngut has a criminal record, including convictions for aggravated robbery and possession of weapons.