Charge: Employee who shot boss 5 times at St. Paul post office had mental health issues

A U.S. Postal Service carrier who shot his supervisor five times inside a post office in St. Paul over the weekend has been coping with mental health problems, according to an attempted murder charge filed Tuesday.

Tewabe Semu Getachew, 28, of St. Paul was charged in Ramsey County District Court with second-degree attempted murder in connection with the shooting Sunday afternoon of Roy Varghese, 50, of Eagan at the Postal Service’s Elway Station at 1715 W. 7th St.

Getachew appeared in court Tuesday morning and remains jailed in lieu of $1 million bail. He’s due back in court Nov. 5. Court records do not list an attorney for him.

The complaint said Getachew squeezed off 12 rounds from his handgun, with five of them striking Varghese in the back and elsewhere. Getachew has a government-issued permit to carry a firearm in public, the complaint noted.

A critically wounded Varghese was taken by ambulance to Regions Hospital for treatment and “is miraculously in stable condition,” the complaint read. He was scheduled for surgery Tuesday.

Police said they arrested Getachew about an hour after the shooting during a traffic stop close to his home near W. 7th and Madison streets.

Court records show Getachew was convicted in May 2022 of a gross misdemeanor for threatening to have another person kill the owner of a senior assisted-living facility in Edina where he worked as a janitor. His sentence, handed down in May 2022 and amended in August 2022, put him on two years’ probation. Terms included a ban for those two years from possessing a gun.

Since Jan. 1, Minnesota law allows certain people to request an order from the court to prohibit someone from purchasing or possessing a firearm, known informally as a “red flag” law. Petioners must be a family or household member, a chief law enforcement officer, a city or county attorney, or a guardian.

According to the complaint, which did not offer a motive for the shooting:

About 3:25 p.m., a 911 caller from inside the post office reported the shooting to police. While the call was on speakerphone, Varghese identified Getachew as the man who shot him.

Police arrived at the post office and found 12 .40-caliber casings near where Varghese was shot.

A U.S. Postal Service inspector told police that Getachew punched out from work at 3:22 p.m. Police spotted Getachew’s minivan in front of his home about 4:50 p.m. and arrested him. He had fresh blood on one shoe.

Police searched his home and found a loaded .40-caliber firearm in a gun box. Police determined the gun and the casings on the post office floor were a match.

Getachew, who smelled of alcohol, told police he saw Varghese before leaving work Sunday. He denied knowing anything about the shooting and explained that he had a beer after work.

He said he bought the gun about a month ago, and police confirmed his statement that he has a permit to carry the firearm.

Getachew’s landlord disclosed to police that his tenant was an alcoholic and spoke often about needing a gun.

One postal employee described Getachew as “weird” and struggling with mental health challenges. The employee at times would not do his job and argued with his supervisor.

The post office’s facility manager said Getachew had been working for the Postal Service since February and had Thursdays off for mental health appointments.

Vaghese’s wife shared with police that her husband complained that Getachew sometimes either lost or refused to deliver packages.