St. Paul man charged in Saturday homicide, assault in Lowertown

A St. Paul man riddled his Lowertown apartment with more than two dozen bullet holes the morning he killed a woman and seriously injured a man, according to charges filed Tuesday.

Scott A. Klund, 29, was charged in Ramsey County District Court with one count each of second-degree murder with intent and attempted second-degree murder with intent in the shooting early Saturday morning.

Klund, who was honorably discharged from the U.S. Marines, is accused of killing Charlotte Ann Rawls, 52, and injuring her 30-year-old male companion, whose identity has not been released by authorities.

Klund called 911 to report the shooting at his third-floor apartment in the 200 block of 5th Street E. near Mears Park, and allegedly laughed at the harm he had caused.

When asked by police if he had been shot, Klund laughed and said, "I'm not the one who got shot," according to the charges. "As Officer Jaworski got into his squad to transport Klund to headquarters, Klund smiled and winked at Officer Jaworski," the charges say.

The charges provide two wildly different tales of why Klund allegedly fired on the two strangers he had invited into his apartment after a night of drinking.

Klund told police the man tried to steal his computer so he fired his gun. From his hospital bed, the man told police on Monday that he didn't try to take a computer, and that Klund fired for no apparent reason.

According to the criminal complaint: Klund called 911 about 3:30 a.m. to report that there was a man in his apartment whose throat had been slashed and who had also been shot multiple times.

When asked who shot him, Klund said, "I did," the charges say. "When asked why he shot the man, Klund laughed and then apologized."

Officers who responded to the call heard a man inside the apartment calling for help.

"I'm dying," the man called out. "I'm dying."

Klund opened his door for the officers, refused to come out and closed the door. Officers entered the apartment and saw Klund lying on the floor, propped on his side looking at them.

Officers found Rawls about 10 feet away from Klund, lying facedown on the living room floor. She was bleeding from her side and pronounced dead at the scene.

The Ramsey County medical examiner's office determined that Rawls had been grazed by a bullet on her head, and had been struck in the upper arm and thorax by another bullet. The penetrating bullet damaged her heart and lungs.

The wounded man, who is expected to recover, was found inside the bathroom behind a bullet-riddled door. He suffered knife wounds to his throat and face, and gunshot wounds to his forearm and thigh.

When questioned by police, Klund allegedly said he drank at the Bulldog until closing time and went to a SuperAmerica gas station, where he met Rawls and the man. He gave money to the man, who then followed him to his apartment and tried to take his work computer and other belongings.

"He said he was being a good Samaritan and brought them to his apartment," the charges say. "He thought they would have a couple of cocktails and then things turned for the worse."

Klund allegedly told police that when the man grabbed his work laptop, went into the bathroom and refused to leave, he fired two shots into the door. Klund told police he thought Rawls had left his apartment at that point.

The man told police that he and Rawls were at the SuperAmerica when Klund emerged from the store and introduced himself to them. Klund gave two bags of chips to two other people in exchange for a beer.

The man asked Klund for a cigarette, and he said he had some at his apartment.

Klund began firing suddenly as they prepared to drink shots of alcohol at the apartment, according to the charges.

The man sought refuge in the bathroom, lying facedown in the bathtub, while Rawls was seated on the living room couch. After Klund fired the shots, he allegedly entered the bathroom and cut the man's face and throat with a knife.

The man denied threatening Klund in any way and told police he had no idea why Klund shot him, the charges say.

Some of the shots struck the apartment next door and a building across the street.

Police have said that the man and Rawls appear to be homeless.

Staff writer Mary Lynn Smith contributed to this report.

Chao Xiong • 612-270-4708

Twitter: @ChaoStrib