On a summer evening in Saint Paul, Minnesota, a long-simmering animosity erupted into deadly violence, claiming the life of 39-year-old Walter Quarles. The Black/African American man was shot and killed on June 28, 2019, in the Dayton's Bluff neighborhood. Quarles was riding in a car with his fiancée and a friend shortly after 8 p.m. when they drove past an apartment building on Suburban Avenue.
A man, later identified as Laurence Wilson, yelled at Quarles from outside the building.
Quarles got out of the car to confront Wilson, and the two men exchanged heated words. The verbal altercation quickly escalated when Wilson pulled out a gun and opened fire on Quarles. Witnesses reported that Wilson continued to shoot even after Quarles had fallen to the ground and was trying to shield himself. The gunman then fled back into the nearby apartment building, leaving a scene of chaos and tragedy behind. Walter Quarles ultimately died from what appeared to be eight separate gunshot wounds.
The investigation into the shooting pointed to a years-old grudge as the motive. According to Quarles' fiancée, Wilson held a "beef" with him for having been with the mother of Wilson's children seven years prior. This long-standing resentment appears to have been the catalyst for the fatal encounter. A friend who was in the car with Quarles positively identified Wilson from a photo lineup provided by the police. Further witness testimony came from Wilson's own uncle, who lived in the apartment building. He told investigators he had tried to intervene and break up the argument between the two men. He turned away for a moment and then heard gunshots, turning back to see his nephew shooting Quarles as he tried to run away.
Two days after the shooting, on a Sunday evening, 37-year-old Laurence Wilson turned himself in to the authorities. He was subsequently charged with second-degree murder with intent for the death of Walter Quarles. Public records indicated that Wilson had two prior convictions for terroristic threats that involved a firearm. Following his surrender, he was taken into custody and remained in jail pending formal charges.
