Prosecutors say a dispute over a $65 monthly garage contract preceded the shooting that killed three apartment employees.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — A 30-year-old tenant has been charged with three counts of second-degree murder after prosecutors said he shot and killed three people inside the leasing office of his St. Paul apartment complex following a dispute over a parking garage contract.
Tsegaab Ademassu Binessu was charged Tuesday in the deaths of Nansi Fuentes Zambrano, 25, Dena Silcox, 56, and Adam Wilwerding, 43. Police found the three victims Monday afternoon inside the office near St. Paul Avenue and West Seventh Street in the Highland Park neighborhood. Binessu has not been convicted, and the allegations against him are contained in a criminal complaint filed in Ramsey County District Court.
Officers were sent to the complex at about 4:10 p.m. after several callers reported hearing screams and gunfire, according to authorities. Police found the three victims dead from multiple gunshot wounds and evacuated the building while investigators searched for a suspect. Authorities later identified Binessu as a person of interest and arrested him Monday night in Virginia, Minnesota, on the Iron Range.
The complaint says the encounter began after Binessu sought to cancel a garage rental agreement that cost $65 a month. Apartment employees told investigators that Binessu had recently renewed the agreement and was informed during a telephone call that he could not stop paying for it. He then said he would come to the leasing office to discuss the matter in person, according to the charges.
Surveillance footage described in the complaint shows Binessu speaking with Silcox and Wilwerding inside the office. Prosecutors allege that he lifted his shirt, removed a handgun and pointed it at the employees before opening fire. The complaint says the video captured part of the shooting before Binessu moved down a hallway and out of the camera’s view. Investigators reported hearing a scream and additional shots on the recording.
Police recovered 21 spent cartridge casings from the office, according to the complaint. Authorities allege that Binessu shot Wilwerding and Silcox several times before moving toward the back of the office, where Fuentes Zambrano was found. The filing does not establish a final sequence for every shot, and the allegations will be tested through the court process.
Investigators learned of Binessu’s alleged involvement after speaking with a roommate who had lived with him since 2018, the complaint says. The roommate told police that Binessu called and said he had argued with apartment management and killed three people. The roommate also reported that Binessu initially said he was walking toward a police station.
Authorities instead arrested Binessu while he was driving Fuentes Zambrano’s vehicle, according to the charges. The complaint does not explain in detail how investigators tracked him to the Iron Range or how he came to possess the car. Those issues remain part of the criminal case and continuing investigation.
During an interview with police, Binessu acknowledged going to the leasing office and having a dispute but did not admit to the shooting, the complaint says. Prosecutors said he spoke about frustration with immigration delays, the loss of his family and business, and what he viewed as unfair treatment. Those statements are included in the complaint but do not amount to a judicial finding about motive.
Each second-degree murder count carries a possible maximum sentence of 40 years under the charges described by prosecutors. Ramsey County Attorney John Choi called the deaths a shocking act of violence and thanked St. Paul police and assisting agencies for making a quick arrest. He said prosecutors would seek accountability for the victims and the community.
Binessu was scheduled to make his first court appearance Wednesday. No plea, bail decision or future hearing result had been confirmed when this article was updated. The case remains pending, and Binessu is presumed innocent unless proved guilty in court.
Author note: Last updated July 22, 2026.