St. Paul working to officially end employment for alleged rec center gunman

St. Paul is working to officially terminate the employment of the man charged with shooting a teenager outside the Jimmy Lee Recreation Center, as the center remains closed.

Last week, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter said the Exavir Dwayne Binford Jr., the 26-year-old man suspected in the shooting that hospitalized a teenager, had worked for the city on an "on-and-off basis" since 2013.

According to a criminal complaint, Binford worked for four years at the Arlington Rec Center and was transferred to Jimmy Lee in August.

Binford was recently employed at the center as a community recreation specialist, a role that involves direct contact with youth and community members.

In a statement Sunday, St. Paul Parks and Recreation Director Andy Rodriguez said the city is "taking steps to end the individual's employment with the City."

"We are committed to providing safe facilities and positive experiences, and we are devastated that something completely counter to our mission occurred at one of our spaces," Rodriguez said in the statement. "We are dedicated to supporting all who are impacted by this tragedy and are taking the necessary steps to ensure something like this never occurs again."

The community center will be closed until further notice, according to the statement, to allow staff time to process the shooting.