Man driving on I-94 dies of injuries after being assaulted inside car, St. Paul police say

A man died from injuries he received Thursday after being assaulted in the car he was driving along Interstate 94 in St. Paul, police said.

The incident was reported to police around 12:30 p.m. by a passenger in the car, a 32-year-old St. Paul man who was arrested after first responders found the car with the two men inside on the freeway shoulder near Prior Avenue.

Police on Thursday evening were still piecing together how the incident unfolded, including whether the assault began before the car stopped. A department spokesperson described the circumstances as “very unusual.”

“It has some pieces to it that in my 30 years I have not seen,” Sgt. Mike Ernster said.

The two men in the car knew each other, Ernster said, but it wasn’t clear to what extent. The identity of the victim, believed to be older than 65, was not released.

First responders found the victim in the car unconscious and not breathing. He was taken to the hospital and later pronounced dead, Ernster said.

Anyone with information on the shooting was asked to call 651-266-5650.

Thursday was the second day in a row that a homicide was reported in St. Paul. Police said an adult male was killed in a shooting just before 7 p.m. Wednesday at Charles Avenue and Galtier Street in the Frogtown neighborhood. The victim had yet to be identified, and no arrests had been made as of Thursday.

There have been 16 homicides so far this year in St. Paul, according to a Star Tribune database. The city recorded 21 homicides as of the same date in 2023.