An Inver Grove Heights man has been indicted on two counts of first-degree murder in connection with a South St. Paul shooting in April that left one man dead and another injured.
According to the criminal complaint, Marcelino Santiago Lopez, 19, allegedly shot Brandon Jose Nieves, 20, of South St. Paul with a shotgun in a dispute over a girlfriend that started online.
Lopez was indicted Friday by a Dakota County grand jury on one count each of first- and second-degree murder. He was also indicted on one count each of first- and second-degree attempted murder and first-degree assault for the non-fatal shooting of a 16-year-old male from Georgia that occurred at the same time and location.
“Our sympathy is extended to family and friends of Brandon Nieves for their great loss,” said Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom. “We are thankful for the recovery of the 16-year-old victim who was in critical condition and required emergency surgery after this incident to save his life.”
About 1:30 p.m. April 2, South St. Paul police responded to a report of gunfire when they found Nieves and the 16-year-old lying in the street. Nieves, who had been shot in the head, was pronounced dead at the scene. The minor had been shot in the chest.
Lopez told police he had come to fight Nieves because Nieves was in a romantic relationship with his former girlfriend. According to the criminal complaint, Lopez had threatened to kill Nieves several times over social media.
Lopez told police that when Nieves arrived, he had brought other friends with him. Lopez said he grabbed his shotgun and shot at two of them before driving away.
A short time later, Lopez called police to turn himself in.
Lopez is in the Dakota County jail with bail set at $1.5 million without conditions. His first appearance will take place next week in Hastings.
The Dakota County Sheriff’s Office, the West St. Paul Police Department, the Inver Grove Heights Police Department and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension assisted with the investigation.