St. Paul Police, community leaders speak out against a recent spike in violence across the city

Police Chief Axel Henry says ghost guns and online videos have made it too easy to manufacture weapons
St. Paul Police and community leadership groups are speaking out against a spike in violence there over the last few weeks.
St. Paul Police and community leadership groups are speaking out against a spike in violence there over the last few weeks. Photo credit (Getty Images / MattGush)

St. Paul Police and community leadership groups are speaking out against a spike in violence there over the last few weeks.

In a little under two months, nine homicides have occurred in St. Paul.

It’s a number Chief Axel Henry says is far too many and is largely driven by guns getting into the wrong hands, he says if you see something say something.

"Everyone behind me and many more people that aren't here today, stand ready to broker whatever the trust divide is preventing people from calling out the behavior in advance," says Henry. "So we are not responding to crimes, we are not trying to apprehend offenders, we're preventing crimes."

So far this year 95 people have been injured by gunfire in St. Paul. Henry says that number  is down 40 percent from when he started in 2022, but a recent string of violence has him and others worried.

"We have a proliferation of ghost guns now, where people can manufacture through 3D printers and make guns that are very hard to trace," Henry explained. "And the other issue is is that our young people have the ability now to just go on YouTube and they can learn how to armor a gun, make a gun."

Community leaders with NAACP, African American Leadership Group and the Minister's Alliance say they plan to hold a seminar for young people next month in St. Paul to get to what they say is the root of the problem.

Featured Image Photo Credit: (Getty Images / MattGush)