A 31-year-old man has been charged with murder in connection with the fatal shooting of a 39-year-old father at a house party in St. Paul last January.
Antonio Edward Johnson was charged with one count of second-degree murder in the death of Charles Eugene Frye, according to the criminal complaint filed in Ramsey County District Court.
Frye, 39, and a 27-year-old man were shot during a party at a residence on East Maryland Avenue, near Burr Street, about 3:30 a.m. on Jan 26.
Frye, of St. Paul, was pronounced dead at the scene and the other man was taken to Regions Hospital, where he was treated and released.
Witnesses to the shooting were initially “uncooperative” with police because they believed Frye’s death was gang-related, authorities say, but officers said they eventually learned that Johnson was trying to avenge the death of Carlos Rogers.
Rogers was fatally shot outside Born’s Bar on Rice Street in St. Paul in June 2017, and Frye was among two men charged with his murder.
Authorities later dropped the charges against Frye, and a jury found Justin Darrell Reynolds guilty of Rogers’ murder. Reynolds was sentenced last April to 32 years in prison.
An individual who saw Frye get shot at the house party told police he had talked with Frye shortly after he showed up at the residence around 3:15 a.m. last Jan. 26.
After they finished their conversation, he said Frye made his way into the living room. That’s when he said he saw an over-sized man with a short-trimmed beard wearing a maroon hooded sweatshirt put a gun two feet from Frye’s head and pull the trigger, according to court documents..
The man later identified Johnson as the shooter from a photo line-up, the complaint said.
Another person who is an acquaintance of Johnson’s told police Johnson told him he pulled out a revolver and shot Frye in the head at the party because Frye was “mugging” him and acting tough, the complaint said.
Police believe Johnson fled the area with his girlfriend after the shooting.
His criminal history includes felony convictions for fifth-degree drug possession and robbery.
Johnson is expected to make his first court appearance Monday afternoon. No attorney was listed for him in court records.
Between his children and stepchildren, Frye had nine kids, according to his relatives.
He also had a large extended family, including more than a dozen nieces and nephews.
“Even though he had his trouble in the past he was trying to do better and show us a better way,” one of his relative’s said after his death.
In addition to Rogers’ death, Frye was also implicated in an attempted murder case in 2006. Charges were also dropped against him in that instance.