In the Summit-University neighborhood of Saint Paul, Minnesota, a 19-year-old Black / African American male named Wilbert McCalister was fatally shot on the morning of September 7, 2018. The incident, which unfolded around 9:10 a.m. near the intersection of Avon Street and Carroll Avenue, was the result of a marijuana deal that escalated into a violent shootout.
McCalister was in a car with two acquaintances, 22-year-old Kalon Harvey-Brown and a 17-year-old male, when they met with a
marijuana dealer. An attempt to rob the dealer by McCalister's associates led to an exchange of gunfire. During the shootout, the dealer fired his weapon, striking McCalister twice in the back. After being shot, McCalister got out of the car and collapsed on the street, where he was later pronounced dead.
The dealer turned himself in to the police, claiming he acted in self-defense because he believed he was about to be robbed. While the case against the dealer remained under investigation, no charges were immediately filed against him. Kalon Harvey-Brown was arrested at the scene and subsequently charged with aggravated first-degree robbery and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. The 17-year-old was also arrested and faced charges.
The story took another tragic turn years later. On June 9, 2021, Wilbert McCalister's brother, Brenden Jamel Reynolds, confronted the 17-year-old involved in the 2018 shooting at a park in West St. Paul. Believing him to be responsible for his brother's death, Reynolds shot and killed him. Reynolds was later arrested and charged with second-degree murder for what was described as an act of revenge.
