Ethiopian Man Charged After 3 Apartment Workers Fatally Shot in Minnesota Over Parking Contract Dispute

A 30-year-old St. Paul tenant has been charged with three counts of second-degree murder after prosecutors say he shot and killed three apartment complex employees during an argument over a $65-a-month parking garage contract.

Tsegaab Ademassu Binessu, a tenant at the Davern Park Apartments in St. Paul's Highland Park neighborhood, is accused of opening fire inside the property's leasing office on Monday afternoon, killing 25-year-old Nansi Fuentes Zambrano, 56-year-old Dena Silcox and 43-year-old Adam Wilwerding.

What Happened

According to charging documents filed in Ramsey County, the shooting followed a dispute over Binessu's parking contract. He had reportedly called the leasing office to cancel the agreement after selling his car, but staff told him the contract could not be canceled because he had recently renewed it. Binessu told staff he would come to the office in person to discuss the matter.

Police say surveillance footage from the leasing office shows Binessu speaking with Wilwerding and Silcox before pulling a handgun from under his shirt and shooting Wilwerding multiple times. The video reportedly shows him then shooting Silcox before moving out of camera view, where additional gunshots were heard. Investigators recovered 21 shell casings, all from a 9mm handgun, in the office. Indian Student Dies in US: Rajyalakshmi Yarlagadda From Andhra Pradesh Dies After Suffering From Severe Cough, Chest Pain.

Man Charged With Murder After Three Killed at St. Paul Apartment Complex Over Parking Dispute

St. Paul police said officers responded to the complex, near St. Paul Avenue and West Seventh Street, at around 4:10 p.m. Monday after multiple 911 callers reported hearing gunshots and screaming. Officers found a man and two women dead from gunshot wounds at the scene.

Arrest and Confession

Shortly after the shooting, a man who told police he had been Binessu's roommate since 2018 called authorities to report that Binessu had confessed to him over the phone. According to the roommate, Binessu said he had gone to argue with apartment management and "ended up killing three people," though he did not describe further details of what happened in the office. Michigan Parents Charged With Murder After 7-Year-Old Son Weighing 116 kg Dies (Watch Video).

The roommate said Binessu had recently quit his job as a truck driver and was in the process of enlisting in the U.S. Navy, which was why he had sold his car and sought to cancel the parking contract.

Authorities located Binessu later Monday night in Virginia, Minnesota, in the state's Iron Range region roughly 200 miles north of St. Paul. He was reportedly driving a vehicle belonging to one of the victims and had newly purchased camping equipment in his possession.

Statements to Investigators

According to court documents, Binessu made statements to investigators after his arrest expressing frustration with what he described as unfair treatment in the United States, including difficulties he said he faced trying to bring family members to the country from Ethiopia. He also alleged he had been treated unfairly because of his race and immigration status, the documents state.

Charges and Court Proceedings

Binessu was formally charged Tuesday with three felony counts of second-degree murder with intent, each carrying a maximum sentence of up to 40 years in prison. He made his first court appearance Wednesday, where a judge ordered him held without bail pending trial, with bond set at $10 million. His trial is expected to begin in mid-August.

Community Reaction

Residents of the Davern Park Apartments described the victims as familiar, longtime staff members who had served the community for years. Neighbors said the killings were unlike anything they had experienced at the complex, with some expressing disbelief that such violence had occurred there.

Family members of the victims also spoke publicly about the loss. Silcox's father told local media he was "shocked" by his daughter's death.

The investigation remains ongoing.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 23, 2026 08:04 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).