Woman shot, killed outside St. Paul bar during brawl was 23-year-old makeup artist, police say

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story used a photograph of a woman who was inaccurately identified as Nia Black. After a reader brought the error to our attention, the photo was replaced with a correct photo of Black. The incorrect photo was mistakenly copied from one of Black's Facebook accounts. The Star Tribune apologizes for the error.

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Police have identified the woman who was fatally shot in the head over the weekend during a brawl in St. Paul in a business parking lot.

Gunfire struck Nia Black, 23, of Coon Rapids, early Saturday outside the Lamplighter Cocktail Lounge and the Giant Wash Coin Laundry in the 100 block of W. Larpenteur Avenue, police said.

Police said Wednesday that they are still looking for suspects in what is the city's 16th homicide of the year. There were 10 about this time last year.

Nia was also known as Brooklyn Black and ran a makeup studio in northeast Minneapolis.

Officers were called to the scene around 1 a.m. on reports of a fight involving "upward of 50 people," police spokesman Sgt. Mike Ernster said.

Shortly afterward, Ramsey County sheriff's deputies stopped a car speeding north on Rice Street at Owasso Boulevard on suspicion that the driver and passengers may have been involved in the brawl.

Deputies found Black in the vehicle, began first aid and called paramedics, who pronounced her dead at the scene of the stop, Ernster said.

Anyone with information about Black's death is asked to call police at 651-266-5650. Tips also can be submitted by calling CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477. A reward could be given for information about the killing. Tipsters can remain anonymous.