In the early morning hours of May 30, 2024, a tragic event unfolded on the 800 block of Simcoe Street in Saint Paul, Minnesota, leading to the death of 21-year-old Toumai Gaynor. Gaynor was discovered by police inside a Toyota Camry that had crashed into a yard around 2:30 a.m. He was unconscious and suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Despite being rushed to Region's Hospital, his injuries were too severe, and he was pronounced dead later that day.
The sole witness at the scene was
an 18-year-old woman who was a passenger in the car with Gaynor, whom she described as a friend. She informed investigators that she had been arguing via text message with her ex-boyfriend, 21-year-old Martavious Deavionne Roby-English. Roby-English was reportedly upset that she was not coming over to his residence and had turned off her phone's location services. The situation escalated when Roby-English appeared at the vehicle. A male voice was heard on surveillance footage yelling, "Get out of the car or I'll kill you! Get out!" followed by the sound of approximately seven gunshots.
Following an investigation, Saint Paul police arrested Martavious Deavionne Roby-English in connection with the fatal shooting. He was subsequently charged with second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder, as prosecutors believed he also intended to kill his ex-girlfriend. Roby-English had been released from prison just a month prior for a previous assault conviction.
In February 2025, Martavious Roby-English pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder for the death of Toumai Gaynor. Subsequently, a judge sentenced him to 22 years in prison. Roby-English claimed to investigators that he believed Gaynor had shot first, a claim that was part of the ongoing investigation. He also stated that he later learned Gaynor had been in a relationship with his ex-girlfriend while he was incarcerated.
