Lauren Summer Koffi-nguessan, a 22-year-old White female, was tragically killed on the evening of September 4, 2020, in West St. Paul, Minnesota. The events of that night unfolded in the parking lot of the Eagle Point Apartments on Oakdale Avenue, where Lauren was with her 15-month-old son. Police were initially called to the apartment complex for a disturbance, with reports of a man acting erratically and having jumped from a second-story balcony.
While officers were investigating the
initial disturbance call, they heard a single gunshot. Shortly after, they discovered Lauren on the ground with a gunshot wound to her head; she was pronounced dead at the scene. Witnesses reported seeing Lauren arguing with a man, later identified as 21-year-old Steven Daniel Buford, just before the fatal shot was fired. It was later revealed by her family that Lauren and Buford had been dating.
Immediately after shooting Lauren, Buford, with her infant son in his arms, ran towards a car that had just pulled into the parking lot. The car was occupied by a woman and her two young sons. In a desperate attempt to flee, Buford threw the infant at the woman through her car window and then jumped into her backseat, landing on her 7-year-old son. He brandished a snub-nosed revolver and demanded she drive away. However, police quickly converged on the vehicle and arrested Buford without further incident.
Steven Daniel Buford, who had a lengthy criminal history, was charged with second-degree murder, first-degree attempted aggravated robbery, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. In November 2021, Buford pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and attempted aggravated robbery. He was subsequently sentenced to 380 months, or more than 31 years, in prison for his crimes.
