A Watertown, Minn., man fatally shot a 39-year-old man in St. Paul Friday after the two men exchanged words following a minor traffic collision, according to criminal charges.
Police arrived at the scene of the shooting on the 1300 block of Burns Avenue around 9:30 p.m. and found “Good Samaritans” rendering aid to a man on the ground suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
The man, who police identified Monday as Douglas Cornelius Lewis, was taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, where he died in surgery around 11 p.m.
Responding officers learned that the suspected shooter was still at the scene and spoke with him.
Anthony James Trifiletti, 24, reportedly told officers that Lewis’ vehicle bumped his truck from behind while he was turning off U.S. Highway 61 onto Burns Avenue.
Trifiletti pulled to the side of the road and he and Lewis starting exchanging words. He said Lewis got out of his vehicle and was coming toward him when he saw Lewis put his hand underneath his shirt near his waistband, according to Trifiletti’s account.
Scared that Lewis was going for a gun, Trifiletti said he grabbed his own firearm and fired several shots at Lewis, according to authorities.
Police did not find a weapon on Lewis, charges say. Trifiletti had a permit to carry.
Trifiletti was charged Monday with one count of second-degree murder.
CONTRADICTORY STORY
A Good Samaritan, also interviewed, gave a different account of what happened. The woman told police she saw a silver car about 50 feet behind a red pickup truck.
That’s when she said Trifiletti ran to his pickup truck and grabbed a handgun as Lewis ran toward the silver car, the woman reported, charges say.
Then she reportedly saw Trifiletti start firing at Lewis, who quickly fell to the ground.
She said she never saw anything in Lewis’ hands nor could she feel anything in his waistband when she rendered aid, the complaint said.
She estimated the two men were about 10 feet apart when Trifiletti starting shooting.
The Ramsey County Medical Examiner said Lewis was shot four times.
SHOOTER TOLD POLICE HE FEARED FOR HIS LIFE
Trifiletti originally left the scene and called his dad, who encouraged him to return, he told police, according to the complaint.
In his interview with officers, he told police that Lewis was angry when the two vehicles pulled over following the collision, the complaint said.
He refused to hand over his insurance information when Trifiletti twice asked for it, instead saying he was “G.D.,” which Trifiletti took to mean Lewis was involved in a gang, charges say.
After taking photos of the damage to both vehicles, Trifiletti said he started walking back to his truck, telling his friends who had pulled over behind him it was OK to leave.
He pulled out after Lewis and “unintentionally” followed him, prompting Lewis to “thr(o)w” his vehicle in park and get out, Trifiletti said.
He started firing when he saw Lewis coming toward him with his hand beneath his shirt, believing Lewis was going for a gun, Trifiletti told officers, the complaint said.
Trifiletti made his first appearance on the charges Monday morning. No attorney was listed for him in court records.
He has no felonies on his criminal record, but received a stayed 90 day sentence for a misdemeanor-level DWI in Washington County last January and was placed on probation for two years.
FATHER OF FOUR
Lewis was a father to four children and worked as a delivery driver for Amazon, Door Dash and other services, according to his sister, Valerie Lewis.
She said her younger brother followed her from Illinois to Minnesota more than 15 years ago, and lived in St. Paul’s West Side with his long-time girlfriend.
She last saw him in April, when he came over to help her move some furniture. The day before he grilled for her daughter’s birthday.
On Saturday morning, a police officer showed up at her door to tell her he was dead.
“My family is taking this really hard. We are very devastated and we are in disbelief that we are even having this conversation about my little brother,” Valerie Lewis said Monday. “Dougie didn’t hurt nobody. He had a fun energetic personality … He was a thinker. He was always thinking and concerned … He did not deserve that.”
Valerie Lewis said she will most remember her brother’s quick sense of humor, easy smile and devotion to his children.
“He was all about raising his kids and just wanted to be the best dad to keep his kids safe,” she continued. “That’s how he would express it. ‘I just want to be a good dad. I just want to be there for my kids.'”
Family gathered at a scenic lookout in St. Paul on Sunday to release balloons in Lewis’ memory.
His death was the second of two of homicides that took place within half an hour of each other in St. Paul Friday night.