Man charged in fatal shooting following traffic dispute in St. Paul

A man who allegedly shot and killed someone in a fight that stemmed from a roadside dispute Monday in St. Paul is now charged with murder.

Court documents show 25-year-old Ian Loi Bursey of Minneapolis is charged with two counts of second-degree murder. fatal shooting of 26-year-old Tajai Evans.

A criminal complaint alleges Bursey followed a Toyota Corolla in which Evans was a passenger from Interstate 35E to a tobacco store on Dale Street in St. Paul after the two drivers got into an argument at a red light.

The driver of the Corolla told investigators he crossed a lane on the highway to make room for Bursey’s Hyundai Sonata, but the Sonata continued to drive and slowed him down. The driver said he switched lanes and turned onto Maryland Avenue. While he was being pulled over, Bursey allegedly accused the other driver of cutting him off.

Bursey told investigators that the other car cut him off “about five times.” He added that when he confronted the other driver, the men in the car “laughed and pointed at him.”

After the traffic light exchange, the Corolla drove west along Maryland Avenue before turning onto Dale Street and eventually making a U-turn to reach a strip mall parking lot just north of Front Avenue, the complaint said. Bursey allegedly followed them to the parking lot, threw something at the Corolla and stopped near his car.

The two men in the Corolla stopped at a tobacconist in the strip mall and saw Bursey’s Sonata. Evans allegedly walked up to the vehicle to confront Bursey and punched him. After a few punches, Bursey grabbed a gun from his car and started shooting.

In a statement to investigators, Bursey claimed he fired the gun in self-defense and did not intend to kill Evans. He also said he thought the other men may have had weapons because they were “holding their pockets and acting rather sketchy,” according to the complaint.

After the shooting, Evans got back into the Corolla and the driver drove toward the hospital before crashing near 12th and Cedar streets.

Officers arrived at the scene of the accident and saw a nurse administering first aid to Evans, who was unconscious and not breathing. He was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy revealed that he had been shot in the chest, forearm and thigh.

Bursey is currently in custody at the Ramsey County Jail. His first court appearance is scheduled for Thursday.