In the early evening of November 2, 2019, a burst of gunfire shattered the quiet behind the Roosevelt Homes complex in Saint Paul, Minnesota. When the chaos subsided, 25-year-old Anthony Martin, a Black male, was found lying on a sidewalk with a gunshot wound to his chest. First responders rushed him to Regions Hospital, but his life could not be saved. The incident, which unfolded around 5:30 p.m.
on the 1100 block of Hazelwood Street, also left another man seriously injured.
The second victim, a 24-year-old friend of Martin's, was discovered slumped over the steering wheel of a Dodge Charger that had crashed into parked cars. He had been shot multiple times, sustaining injuries to his torso, face, and arm. At the scene, investigators recovered seven 9mm bullet casings, a plastic bag, and a small scale, hinting at the violent nature of the encounter. The surviving victim later recounted to police that a man had approached their vehicle and tried to force his way in, repeatedly asking for someone named "Lord." When they denied him entry, the man opened fire.
The investigation quickly gained momentum as police reviewed surveillance footage that captured the tragic events. The video showed a man in a red sweater approaching the Charger, engaging in a brief conversation with the occupants, and then firing multiple shots. As the shooter fled, Martin exited the car and collapsed. His friend attempted to drive away but crashed shortly after. The survivor, despite not knowing the assailant's name, recognized him from the neighborhood and was later able to identify him from a photo lineup.
This crucial piece of evidence, combined with the surveillance footage that also captured the suspect's Jeep, led authorities to 26-year-old Duane R. Whitson. Investigators discovered that Whitson had abandoned his vehicle in Oakdale four days after the shooting and had a friend wire money to him in Louisiana. A little over a month later, on December 5, U.S. Marshals located and arrested Whitson in Dallas, Texas. He was extradited back to Minnesota to face charges of second-degree murder and second-degree attempted murder for the fatal shooting of Anthony Martin and the wounding of his friend. Bail was set at $1 million.
