MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | St. Paul Leasing-Office Triple Homicide Leaves Three Employees Dead; Tenant Charged in Killings

ST. PAUL, MN (July 22, 2026) Three apartment-management employees were killed inside a St. Paul leasing office Monday afternoon, prompting evacuations, an intensive search and the eventual arrest of a tenant whom prosecutors accuse of carrying out the shootings following a dispute over parking access.

Police responded shortly after 4:10 p.m. July 20 to reports of gunfire at an apartment complex in the 1500 block of St. Paul Avenue, near the Davern Park Apartments in the Highland neighborhood.

Officers entered the leasing office and found three adults dead. Police secured the surrounding area and evacuated portions of the apartment complex while investigators searched for the person responsible and determined whether residents faced any continuing threat.

The victims were later identified as:

• Nansi G. Fuentes Zambrano, 25, of Inver Grove Heights
• Dena M. Silcox, 56, of St. Paul
• Adam J. Wilwerding, 43, of Oakdale

All three worked for the company responsible for managing the apartment property.

Suspect arrested in northern Minnesota

Authorities initially said they had taken a person of interest into custody Monday night. Police later announced that a 30-year-old St. Paul man had been arrested in Virginia, Minnesota, approximately 200 miles north of St. Paul.

St. Louis County sheriff’s deputies made the arrest before the man was returned to St. Paul for questioning and further proceedings.

Police also executed a search warrant at a second location during the investigation. Authorities did not initially disclose what evidence, if any, was recovered there.

Charges allege parking dispute

Prosecutors have since filed charges alleging that the defendant was a tenant at a property managed by the victims’ employer.

According to the criminal complaint, he had been involved in a dispute concerning a parking-garage contract or access to the garage. Prosecutors allege that he entered the leasing office and deliberately shot the three employees.

The alleged parking dispute is the prosecution’s account of the motive. The allegations have not been proven in court, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted.

Court proceedings are expected to examine the relationship between the defendant and the property-management company, communications preceding the shooting and evidence collected from the leasing office and other locations.

Three lives lost at work

The killings transformed an ordinary workday into a scene of violence and mourning for the victims’ families, colleagues and apartment residents.

The victims were employees performing their duties inside a workplace serving tenants. Their deaths underscore the dangers faced by workers who handle disputes involving housing, contracts, payments and property access.

Residents also faced hours of uncertainty as police secured the complex, searched the area and worked to establish whether another attacker or immediate danger remained.

“This is an unbelievably big tragedy for our city,” St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry said during the initial response. “It will not be accepted.”

Investigation continues

Investigators will continue gathering surveillance footage, electronic communications, witness statements and forensic evidence. The Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office will provide official findings concerning the victims’ deaths.

The case will move through the Ramsey County court system, beginning with preliminary hearings and arguments over detention or bail. Prosecutors must prove each charge beyond a reasonable doubt.

Authorities have not announced evidence connecting the killings to other recent shootings in St. Paul or Minneapolis.

Anyone possessing information relevant to the case should contact the St. Paul Police Department.

Editor’s note: This report incorporates developments released after the original announcement, including the victims’ identities, the arrest and the prosecution’s alleged motive.

Sources: CBS Minnesota; FOX 9

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