St. Paul police are searching for a 39-year-old man who lives in a North End apartment where a 2-year-old boy was shot and killed Wednesday.
Investigators have issued a request for agencies to pick up and hold the man for questioning in the case, a law enforcement source told the Star Tribune.
The man reportedly lives in the third-floor apartment where the child was struck by gunfire, but his relationship to the young victim is not clear. Court records show he is on probation in Ramsey County and is ineligible to possess a firearm.
The Star Tribune generally does not name those who have not been charged with a crime.
Officers were called to the building at 850 Rice St. about 1:15 p.m. Wednesday on a report of a child who had "hurt his head." On arrival, they learned that the toddler suffered a gunshot wound. He died in the ambulance eight minutes later, said police spokesman Steve Linders.
Three teenagers reportedly in the residence at the time were taken downtown to be questioned by detectives. The adult tenant was not there, and a gun has yet to be found.
A police spokesman declined to discuss the alert Thursday, saying that the circumstances surrounding the boy's death remain under investigation.
It's still unclear who was holding the gun when it discharged and whether the shooting was accidental.
