As three workers at a St. Paul community center rushed to help a 16-year-old who’d been shot in the head outside their building, they worried for him and for their own safety.
David Albornoz, St. Paul aquatics facility supervisor, applied pressure to the teen’s head wound. “At that point, we didn’t know what the situation was” and without knowing where the shooter was, “I was terrified,” he said.
The St. Paul fire department honored Albornoz and two other men on Tuesday, three months to the date since the shooting. Fire Chief Butch Inks presented each a letter of appreciation, which said their “deliberate efforts proved to be lifesaving.”
The recognition for the men came before Mayor Melvin Carter gave his “State of Our City” address in the Oxford Community Center at Marshall Avenue and Lexington Parkway. The shooting of the Central High School student happened in the center’s parking lot and a St. Paul Parks and Rec employee is charged with attempted murder.
“In the last year, we have encountered far too many moments of almost unbearable heartbreak, which is why this work is so critical,” Carter said Tuesday as he discussed gun violence efforts underway in the city and the results that are being seen.
‘Outreach and engagement’
St. Paul’s Office of Neighborhood Safety launched Project PEACE last July. It’s an “individualized Gun Violence Intervention initiative that connects victims of gun violence with evidence-based resources, community-led programming and wraparound supports,” Carter said.
As part of the program, police created the ASPIRE Unit, in which officers focus on “outreach and engagement activities with members of our community who are at risk for being involved in gun violence,” Carter said.
There have been more than 130 referrals to Project PEACE — “that’s over 130 who’ve been connected to new, safer housing, city or county support resources and community-based organizations,” Carter said.
Gun violence has been declining this year in St. Paul, compared to this time last year. According to police department statistics:
• There have been nine people fatally shot this year and 43 wounded by gunfire; there were 10 people fatally shot and 65 wounded by gunfire as of this date last year, according to police department statistics.
• Police have received 374 reports of “shots fired” without injury vs. 669 at this point last year.
• There have been 182 guns recovered vs. 150 last year.
“These numbers are moving in the right direction,” Carter said. “But when it comes to keeping our families safe, our work is never done.”
There were 40 homicides in St. Paul last year and 38 in 2022, which have been record-setting for the city. In the 20 years ending in 2018, St. Paul averaged 16 homicides a year.
‘Aftermath of horrific shooting’
When the 16-year-old was shot outside the rec center on Jan. 13, Albornoz said he relied on his training and Johnny Allen Jr., founder and executive director of JK Movement, said his instincts took over.
“In the aftermath of a horrific shooting that left a young man in our community fighting for his life, David (Albornoz) rushed outside these doors to provide first aid,” Carter said.
Ari Dahlager, a St. Paul community recreation director, called 911 and provided important updates, Carter said.
Allen, whose nonprofit manages the Jimmy Lee Recreation Center housed in the Oxford Community Center, hurried to his vehicle to retrieve towels and then he held the teen’s hand. He said he told him, “Don’t give up. Don’t close your eyes. Breathe.”
An argument outside the community center escalated to a fight and Exavir Binford Jr., whose title was community recreation specialist for the city, shot the 16-year-old, according to a criminal complaint. Binford has pleaded not guilty and the court case is ongoing.
Carter said he “ordered a comprehensive audit of policies, practices and resources pertaining to public safety, training and discipline and systems for support” in St. Paul recreation centers.
“While those efforts will ensure we are doing everything in our power to keep our recreation centers safe at a time when guns are the leading cause of death among our young people, … we will continue to advocate for local authority to ban guns in our recreation centers,” Carter said.
The mayor has said he is seeking changes to Minnesota law to allow local governmental units to prohibit or restrict weapons in local government-owned or leased buildings and land, including rec centers. Such bills were introduced in the House of Representatives and Senate in March, though they haven’t received hearings in legislative committees.
