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On Friday, September 4, a West St. Paul man allegedly shot a woman in the head and attempted a carjacking to flee the scene before being arrested by police. The man, later identified as 21-year-old Steven David Buford, was charged with second degree murder, attempted robbery, and gun possession. The victim, later identified as 22-year-old Lauren Summer Koffi-n’guessan, was pronounced dead on the scene. The incident took place in the parking lot at Eagle Pointe apartments off Christensen Avenue.
“It’s a pretty good neighborhood,” neighbor Evan Adamson told KARE 11. “I never had something bad like this happen before. … It’s a very friendly place, you can rely on your neighbor. I just didn’t think something like this could happen.”
According to the criminal complaint, police were called to the scene for a disturbance. Witnesses told police they saw a man, Buford, jump from a second story balcony and had seen him arguing with Koffi-n’guessan. Police began to check the area when they heard a gunshot and found Koffi-n’guessan. Then they encountered Buford attempting to carjack a vehicle from another woman and her two children. The woman held a third child, a 15-month-old infant, later identified as Koffi’n-guessan’s son—Buford had apparently thrown the child at her.
Police were able to arrest Buford without incident.
“If you or someone you know is in a domestic violence situation, please know that you’re not alone and there are resources available to help you,” the West St. Paul Police Department shared on their Facebook page. They collaborate with 360 Communities to address domestic violence. They also encourage people to connect with Ana January, a bilingual community advocate who supports victims of domestic and sexual violence.
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