In a tragic incident at a Minnesota apartment complex, an irate tenant reportedly opened fire, killing three employees during a violent outburst stemming from a parking disagreement.
The suspect, identified as 30-year-old Tsegaab Binessu, allegedly shot and killed three staff members: Nansi Fuentes Zambrano, 25, Dena Silcox, 56, and Adam Wilwerding, 43. The shooting occurred in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Monday, according to KSTP.
Documents suggest that Binessu, who hails from Ethiopia, sought to terminate his $65-per-month garage lease due to his intentions to enlist in the Navy.
After contacting the staff to inquire about terminating the contract, he was informed that cancellation was not possible because he had recently renewed his agreement.
Binessu reportedly mentioned to the staff that he intended to visit the leasing office, which preceded the alleged shooting spree.
He “went to the leasing office a short time after that phone call and he executed three workers,” the court documents state.
He is accused of shooting Wilwerding, a community manager known affectionately as AJ, six times and Silcox six times.
Silcox, who was the assistant manager having worked in the office for almost a decade, reportedly screamed “No, no – no no” when Wilwerding was shot.
She was shot five times in “rapid succession” before Binessu allegedly fired another gunshot, which sent her crashing to the floor, the court documents said, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
A scream was heard on surveillance video and Binessu allegedly fired four more shots.
Fuentes Zambrano was found dead in a room at the back of the office – and she tried to escape through a window when she was shot. She was found with a gunshot in her head.
Investigators found 21 spent shell casings in the office, according to the documents.
Binessu was arrested in Virginia, Minn. – around 200 miles from the crime scene – and reportedly confessed to the killings in a call with his roommate, who later called the cops.
The alleged shooter told his roommate “he had argued with apartment management and ended up killing three people,” the court documents state.
Binessu was arrested driving Fuentes Zambrano’s car and he moaned that he “hated the American system” during his interrogation.
He claimed he had been trying for seven years to bring his wife and kids from Ethiopia – but he had been stymied due to the immigration process.
Binessu said the ordeal had contributed to his divorce from his spouse.
“Binessu believes he was treated unfairly because he is black and an immigrant,” the court documents stated.
“Binessu repeatedly said he has lost everything he cared about: his wife, his children, his business, his peace of mind. Binessu said life without his family no longer made sense.”
He also told investigators that he quit his truck driver job because of stress.
But Binessu was tight-lipped on what allegedly unfolded inside the leasing office.
Binessu was charged with second-degree murder and is set to appear in court Wednesday. He faces 40 years in prison for each murder.
Tributes have poured in for the victims. Silcox’s devastated friends said she was someone with a “vibrant spirit” which “brought joy to everyone who knew her.”
“Her sudden and violent passing has left us all in shock,” they said in a fundraiser.
“Dena’s children, who meant the world to her, are facing this unimaginable time with bravery and love.”
At a vigil held Tuesday, Silcox’s dad Robert described her as a “fabulous piano player,” while her younger brother Erik said she had “a fire in her belly,” KARE 11 reported.
Meanwhile, Zambrano’s pal Estreya Velazquez said, “She deserved so much more than what was given to her.”
Ashley Chester, who lives in the apartment complex, paid tribute to Wilwerding, saying he was loved by all of the tenants.
“They were just good people, really good people, and you can tell because there’s residents that’s been here for years, and that says a lot,” she said of the three people killed and those who attended the vigil in their memory.
“We’re definitely together, and we’re going to stay together. We’re family now, at this point.”