An Ethiopian migrant allegedly murdered three employees at a St. Paul apartment building following a dispute over a $65 parking contract. Tsegaab Ademassu Binessu, 30, is accused of fatally shooting employees Adam Wilwerding, 43, Nansi Fuentes Zambrano, 25, and Dena Silcox, 56, on Monday.
Authorities recovered dozens of shell casings from the management office. Police stated Binessu allegedly told an employee on the phone that he was coming to the office before the killings occurred. Wilwerding and Silcox were each shot multiple times, while Zambrano was reportedly shot as she attempted to flee the office.
Binessu was arrested days later in Virginia, Minnesota, hundreds of miles north of St. Paul, near the Canadian border. He was reportedly detained while driving one of the victims' vehicles. According to reports, Binessu complained to investigators about the American political system and his inability to bring his family from Ethiopia to the United States. He also reportedly claimed he was being treated differently due to his race and immigration status.
The incident occurred days after Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz faced criticism for pardoning an undocumented immigrant convicted of a sex offense. Some commentators have drawn parallels between the pardon controversy and Binessu's alleged claims of unfair treatment. Binessu had reportedly been employed as a truck driver until recently and was considering enlisting in the U.S. Navy before the incident.