Court docs, bodycam video reveal more about Lowertown homicide, deadly police encounter in Belle Plaine

Search warrants filed in Ramsey and Scott counties reveal new details about the investigation following the murder of 66-year-old Carrie Shobe Kwok.

As previously reported, she was fatally shot while working on a mural on Wednesday evening on the 200 block of Kellogg Boulevard East in St. Paul.

“Trying to honor the fact that everyone in the cooperative is grieving differently,” says Ben Krywosz, president of the Lowertown lofts artist cooperative.

“She worked a lot with jewelry, and she did alternative Vincent’s clothes and made new things of it,” Krywosz says.

“What I appreciate about her most was how vivacious and enthusiastic she was, how engaged. She was with life,” notes Krywosz notes.

RELATED: St. Paul shooting leaves member of Lowertown Lofts Artists Cooperative dead

The suspected gunman — identified by family members as 29-year-old Seantrell Murdock — was tracked to a home in Belle Plaine. As St. Paul police were staking out the address Thursday morning, Murdock emerged with a gun in his hand, and two officers shot him. He was airlifted to Hennepin County Medical Center but did not survive.

“I’m sad that she lost her life for something senseless,” says Ta-Columba Aiken, a longtime artist at the cooperative. “There were probably 3 to 4 people out here; one of them tried to help and realized when they rolled her over that she had passed.”

“…Four shots, you know that we heard, and I know what that sounds like. I ran because it was super loud,” Aiken continued. “You know it’s going to take a lot of healing for our building, our members, but for the whole community. Hopefully people will remember the goodness of her and the goodness of artists, how they want to give art for free.”

According to applications for search warrants filed Friday, a witness told investigators she was parking her vehicle next to the mural when she heard two or three gunshots and saw the suspect, later identified as Murdock, shooting a gun at Kwok.

A 911 caller also described the suspect vehicle as an older model silver sedan with rust on the roof. While reviewing security footage, investigators saw a silver Chevy Malibu leaving the scene.

Court documents state the car was registered to Murdock at his address in Belle Plaine.

The video also showed a shot of Murdock’s face.

Another surveillance video showed Kwok bending over and painting a mural on the ground before the shooting. The suspect vehicle was seen on the video driving west through the alleyway before the car stopped and Murdock got out.

Murdock was then seen approaching Kwok and shooting her multiple times. Court documents state he was then shown on video getting back into his car and driving away.

Investigators went to Murdock’s listed address in Belle Plaine to surveil it and saw him leave. Court documents state Murdock was “approached by law enforcement officers, he displayed a weapon, and there was an officer-involved shooting incident.”

Body camera footage released on Tuesday shows a lightning-fast interaction with Murdock before Officers Aaron Bohlen and Lance Christianson shot him.

The footage shows officers pulling up in squad cars before yelling, “Hands! Hands! Hands!” One officer then announces, “He’s got a gun!” before the officers opened fire. It takes roughly four seconds from the time police address Murdock to the initial gunshot.

The officers are then seen putting Murdock in handcuffs before calling for a medic.

“Why did you shoot me?” Murdock asks, to which an officer replies, “You had a gun in your hand, dude.” One frame from Christianson’s bodycam video shows a handgun next to Murdock while he is restrained on the ground.

During a search warrant execution at Murdock’s home, investigators collected 21 pieces of evidence — most of them were related to firearm and ammunition possession. As previously reported, Murdock was prohibited from having a gun due to previous felony convictions. Court records also show Murdock suffered from bipolar and schizoaffective disorders. Last year, Murdock’s mother brought him to the hospital and she reportedly told hospital staff he “had access to a firearm and was fearful for her son’s safety.”

Authorities are still working to find out how Murdock obtained the gun he reportedly used to kill Kwok.