ST. PAUL, MN – A devastating incident unfolded in Lowertown, St. Paul, where a 66-year-old woman named Carrie Shobe Kwok was fatally shot while working on an art project. Authorities have described the act as random. St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry expressed his disbelief, calling the event an unprecedented tragedy.
The incident occurred Wednesday evening on the 200 block of Kellogg Boulevard East. Police found Kwok with gunshot wounds and pronounced her dead at the scene. The suspect fled but was later located in Belle Plaine.
On Thursday morning, around 6:30 a.m., the armed suspect exited the Belle Plaine residence. Two St. Paul officers opened fire. The suspect was airlifted to Hennepin County Medical Center and died from his injuries. Authorities are withholding the suspect’s identity for now as the shooting continues to be investigated.
In Lowertown, Kwok was a cherished member of the Lowertown Lofts Art Cooperative. The morning after the shooting, flowers adorned her ongoing art project, taped off by caution tape.
While neighbors in her artist co-op found some relief that the suspect wasn’t local, the incident has nonetheless deepened concerns over safety. Resident Lynn Murphy highlighted the increasing dangers, having been assaulted thrice last year.
Carrie Shobe Kwok’s dedication to her community’s aesthetic and well-being remains a lasting testament to her goodwill, despite the senseless violence that claimed her life.