Three arrested after shootout in St. Paul bar that left 1 dead, 14 injured

“In an instant, they found themselves caught in a hellish situation,” St. Paul Police Chief Todd Axtell said.

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Three men were arrested after a young woman was killed and at least 14 other people were injured in a shootout in a bar early Sunday in St. Paul, Minnesota, police said.

Police said on social media that three men "who were involved in this morning's homicide and shootings at a West Seventh Street bar" had been arrested: Terry Lorenzo Brown Jr., 33, Devondre Trevon Phillips, 29, and Jeffrey Orlando Hoffman, 32.

"They're in custody and in the hospital, being treated for injuries suffered during the incident. Once they're discharged, all three will be booked into the Ramsey City jail and await a charging decision. The case remains open and active. No further info is available at this time," police said.

Earlier Sunday, St. Paul Police Chief Todd Axtell described the victims' scrambling for cover.

"In an instant, they found themselves caught in a hellish situation," Axtell said in a statement, adding, "We have the best investigators in the country, and we won't stop until we find the people responsible for this madness."

The police department said in a statement that officers found a "chaotic scene" when they arrived at about 12:15 a.m. local time.

A woman in her 20s was pronounced dead at the scene, the statement said, adding that 14 other people taken to area hospitals are all expected to survive.

A motive has yet to be determined, the statement said.

Axtell said, "My heart breaks for the woman who was killed, her loved ones and everyone else who was in that bar this morning."

Axtell tweeted later that he had spoken with the victim's family, who were "absolutely devastated." He promised that the police department "WILL bring justice" in the case.

Mayor Melvin Carter said in a statement on Twitter that the community was in shock.

"As our Saint Paul officers work to bring those responsible for these senseless acts into custody, our work to build more proactive and comprehensive public safety strategies is more urgent than ever," Carter said. "We will never accept violence in our community."