Arrest made after man shot in one part of St. Paul turns up dead in a vehicle near State Capitol

A man reportedly shot in one part of St. Paul before driving away turned up dead in a vehicle near the State Capitol soon afterward, said police, who announced an arrest late Tuesday morning.

Police were called about 7:30 p.m. Monday to the 500 block of Front Avenue in the city’s North End by a man who reported being assaulted while in a vehicle, a statement from police read.

The caller added that he shot the man who was assaulting him and may have wounded him, the statement continued. Police said the man got in a red vehicle and left.

A brief time later, the vehicle crashed about 2 miles away at the intersection of E. 12th and Cedar streets, just south of the Capitol, according to police.

“An adult male with a gunshot injury was located inside of the red vehicle,” the statement read. “He was unconscious and not breathing.”

Authorities identified the deceased man Tuesday as 26-year-old Tajai Evans of St. Paul.

Police said passersby assisted officers in tending to the man and Fire Department medics soon arrived, but the man was declared dead at the scene. Officials have yet to release his identity.

The caller was arrested and identified by police as a 25-year-old man from Minneapolis. He’s being held on suspicion of second-degree murder. The Minnesota Star Tribune generally does not identify suspects before they are charged.

There have been 27 homicides in St. Paul so far this year, according to a Star Tribune database. There were 28 homicides in the city at this time last year.

Staff writer Kyeland Jackson contributed to this story.