Three charged with fatal shooting in St. Paul's Payne-Phalen neighborhood

Three men have been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of Rashaad L. Van Pelt, who was shot multiple times Nov. 21 outside an apartment building in St. Paul's Payne-Phalen neighborhood.

Two of the suspects, Dontaye Javonne Thomas and Jai'Patric Ni'Carlo Timberlake, were being held in Ramsey County jail on Wednesday in lieu of $1 million bond. The third suspect, Deveon Quintarius Kirk, was in the St. Cloud prison after being sentenced Dec. 10 on a previous firearms charge, according to his Minnesota Department of Corrections offender profile.

According to the charges, Thomas had argued with Van Pelt a few hours before the shooting. Van Pelt told Thomas he heard Thomas had been beaten up. That upset Thomas, who left the scene and texted Timberlake to join him and bring a gun because Van Pelt had threatened to shoot up the block.

Timberlake, Kirk and a fourth man then approached Van Pelt on the 1000 block of York Avenue about 11:30 pm. The fourth man, identified in the charges only by his initials, tried to get Thomas to leave. That's when Kirk pulled out a gun and "shot Van Pelt for no reason," the man said. Van Pelt "did not deserve what happened to him."

The fourth man was arrested but agreed to speak investigators. He identified Kirk as the shooter and said Timberlake and his nephew, Thomas, were present at the time.

The Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office said Van Pelt had been shot nine times.

Kirk has previous felony convictions for a predatory offender registration violation, domestic assault and criminal vehicular operation.