Brothers charged in shooting death of off-duty St. Paul firefighter

Two brothers have been arrested and charged in connection with the shooting death two weeks ago of an off-duty St. Paul firefighter in his home, authorities announced Monday.

Blake D. Caraway, 36, and Dontay L. Caraway, 39, both of St. Paul, were charged in Ramsey County District Court with second-degree intentional murder in the killing of Thomas Harrigan, 36, on Sept. 2.

Blake Caraway was arrested Friday in Pompano Beach, Fla., and Dontay was arrested the same day in Spencer, Okla., police said.

Both remained jailed Monday afternoon. Minnesota authorities plan to seek the men's extradition.

The police response on the day Harrigan was killed in the 1700 block of E. Ivy Avenue capped a string of recent law enforcement calls to his residence involving drugs and other troubles after his overseas military service left him traumatized and needing help for substance abuse.

Officers were called to the house soon after the gunfire erupted about 8:30 p.m. They arrived and found Harrigan shot in the abdomen. He was taken to Regions Hospital and declared dead within 30 minutes.

According to witnesses cited in the charges:

Harrigan had been having problems with people who stayed in the home. Dontay Caraway had recently been kicked out of the home and his phone taken away after allegedly stealing from Harrigan, and Harrigan and another roommate had struck Caraway a few times. The day before the shooting, Dontay Caraway texted a friend a photo of his bruised face saying: "I'm going to [expletive] them up. I hope fire man knows what he started."

On the day of the shooting, Dontay and Blake Caraway entered the home and argued with Harrigan. He ordered the men to leave and said "he didn't care" that one of them had a gun, the criminal complaints read.

Harrigan then nearly struck Blake Caraway with a stick, and the targeted man responded by shooting Harrigan once in the torso. Other people in the home hid as the men then attempted to hide in a dumpster before they fled.

Blake Caraway has a prior conviction for fleeing police in a motor vehicle. Dontay Caraway has prior convictions for drugs and fleeing police.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482