In a distressing incident unfolding across state and international lines, a Minnesota man is accused of fatally shooting his girlfriend during their child’s birthday celebration, subsequently taking the children on a journey to Michigan before fleeing to Canada, where authorities apprehended him. The suspect, 33-year-old Wesley Koboi, now faces a second-degree murder charge related to the tragic death of 29-year-old Shaniya Thompson in St. Paul.

The shocking events came to light when police responded to an emergency call around 4:15 p.m. on Friday, reporting a shooting at an apartment complex on Broadway Street. Upon arrival, officers discovered Thompson had died from a gunshot wound to the head, and they recovered a firearm at the scene. Although the shooting was reported on Friday, investigators suspect it occurred the previous day.

According to a probable cause arrest affidavit obtained by Law&Crime, authorities interviewed the couple’s daughter, who was then in Michigan. When asked about her mother’s well-being, the girl expressed uncertainty, mentioning her father had a gun and repeatedly claimed the incident was accidental. The tragedy reportedly unfolded during a birthday party for one of the children, sparking an argument between Koboi and Thompson.

Further insights emerged from another child’s account, who revealed that prior to the shooting, the couple had been arguing, during which Koboi allegedly brandished a “short” firearm and aimed it at Thompson’s head. The children were then instructed to leave the room, after which they heard a loud “thud,” as detailed in the complaint.

In the aftermath, Koboi allegedly directed the children to prepare for a trip, subsequently driving them over eight hours to a relative’s residence in Grand Rapids, Michigan, believed to be his mother’s home. After leaving the children there, Koboi reportedly traveled to Port Huron, where he crossed the Sarnia Blue Water Bridge into Canada. Despite allegedly booking a flight to Mexico, Koboi’s flight plans were thwarted when he was arrested in Toronto on Tuesday, as confirmed by local authorities to NBC affiliate KARE.

Thompson’s family is devastated, especially since what was planned as a fun children’s birthday party devolved into an act of violence.

“He came into her home bearing gifts for my young niece’s birthday,” wrote Thompson’s sister Shayna Jason in a GoFundMe post. “All the while planning to shoot and kill my sister. While my nieces and nephews were there they heard gunshots and a scream.”

Jason wrote that her sister was a devoted mother to five children “whose lives have been forever changed.”

“These children witnessed the unthinkable, and now they are left not only grieving their mother but also facing trauma that no child should ever endure,” Jason said. “They will need counseling, care, and support as they try to heal. With Christmas so close, we are heartbroken knowing they may go without during what should be a time of love and comfort.”