Ramsey County authorities have charged a St. Paul city employee with one count of attempted second degree murder and one count of first degree assault after they say he shot a teenager outside the John Lee Recreation Center on Wednesday afternoon.
As of Thursday afternoon, the victim was still hospitalized and in critical condition.
26-year-old Exavir Dwayne Binford Jr. is in custody and will make his first court appearance Friday afternoon.
Parks Director Andy Rodriguez said Binford is an employee of the Jimmy Lee Rec Center. Rodriguez said that the position was on a day-to-day basis.
Police say they also have recovered the gun used in the shooting. The shooting prompted a lockdown at nearby Central High School, which did not hold classes today.
Mayor Melvin Carter spoke with reporters about the arrest Thursday, praising the work done by the St. Paul Police Department.
“We certainly appreciate the work of the St. Paul Police Department to help bring a suspect into custody and recover a firearm as quickly as possible,” Mayor Carter said. “Those are encouraging moments out of one of the toughest things we’ve endured as a city in a while.”
