A 30-year-old immigrant from Ethiopia faces three counts of second-degree murder after allegedly opening fire inside his apartment complex’s leasing office in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Monday, taking the lives of three staff members following a disagreement over a garage parking contract.
Authorities arrested Tsegaab Binessu, a former truck driver, in the city of Virginia, Minnesota, about 200 miles away from the crime scene, The New York Post reported. He was apprehended driving a vehicle belonging to one of the victims.
According to charging documents, the murderous spree stemmed from a $65-a-month parking garage agreement. Binessu, who was preparing to enlist in the U.S. Navy, contacted the leasing office seeking to terminate the agreement. Staff members informed him that cancellation was not possible because he had recently renewed the contract. Binessu then informed workers he was heading down to the office in person to discuss the matter.
Surveillance footage captured Binessu speaking with community manager Adam “AJ” Wilwerding, 43, and assistant manager Dena Silcox, 56. Video shows the suspect lifting his shirt, drawing a firearm, and shooting both employees, according to authorities.
According to the criminal complaint, Binessu shot Wilwerding at least six times, including three times after Wilwerding fell to the ground, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported. Silcox was shot five times “in rapid succession,” and then hit a sixth time as she attempted to get away from Binessu, according to the complaint.
The camera then allegedly captured him moving toward a back room where 25-year-old staff member Nansi Fuentes Zambrano was trying to escape through a window. She was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head. Investigators recovered 21 spent shell casings at the scene.
Police were alerted after receiving multiple emergency calls reporting gunshots and screaming. Binessu’s roommate also contacted law enforcement, reporting that Binessu had confessed to the shooting during a phone call and said he was attempting to turn himself in.
During police interrogations, Binessu expressed frustration with the American immigration system, explaining that a seven-year struggle to bring his wife and children from Ethiopia had ultimately ruined his marriage. Documents reveal he said he had been unfairly treated because of his race, stating that he felt he had lost everything that mattered to him, including his family, business, and peace of mind. He did not offer a full formal confession to police.
Residents in the Highland Park community organized vigils and memorials outside the office, remembering the victims.
Binessu is scheduled to make his initial court appearance on Wednesday. If convicted, he faces up to 40 years in prison for each murder charge.
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