A Minnesota artist was shot and killed last Wednesday while painting her street mural in an attack police call “random” and “cold blooded.”
Carrie Shobe Kwok, 66, of St. Paul, was kneeling before a colorful art project she had been working on to bring joy to the community when surveillance footage showed the moment she was shot and killed.
The gunman, later identified as Seantrell Murdock, 29, was found at an address in Belle Plaine, about an hour from St. Paul.
As St. Paul police prepared to confront Murdock on Thursday, he emerged from the home brandishing a gun. Two deputies shot him and took him to Hennepin County Medical Center, where he died.
St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry said what happened to Kwok was “one of the most ruthless things I’ve ever seen in my life,” as they found no evidence that she and Murdock knew each other or even they would have fought. , KSTP reported.
Carrie Shobe Kwok, 66, lived in St. Paul and was shot to death in a random cold-blooded attack, according to police.
St. Paul police say this man, Seantrell Murdock, 29, was the suspect who killed Kwok. He was killed by two officers in front of a home in Belle Plaine.
Pictured: The mural Kwok had been working on when he was shot. Friends and loved ones have since placed flowers.
‘This murder that took place in our city, which led us to talk today about this officer-involved shooting, has all kinds of hallmarks and flags that I think will come to light in the coming days as a state and as a country. We have to start taking it more seriously,” Henry said during a news conference.
Murdock, who had four children, suffered from bipolar and schizoaffective disorders, court documents uncovered by KSTP reveal.
CBS reported that Murdock’s mother took him to the emergency room in January 2023 for mental health issues.
While there, court records show Murdock physically and verbally assaulted staff, requiring “physical restraints and emergency medications.”
He said he was “afraid of himself” and offered conflicting statements. He said he didn’t want to hurt anyone before also saying he “wanted to kill others.”
That same year, a Scott County judge ordered him civil commitment, an order that was stayed.
This means that as long as Murdock voluntarily participated in treatment, the court will not enforce the commitment order, according to NAMI Minnesota.
It is unclear whether he sought or maintained treatment, but Murdock’s case was dismissed in August 2023.
Murdock is also a felon who was convicted of first-degree robbery in 2014.
Meanwhile, Kwok is remembered by family and friends as a gentle and extremely generous soul.
Julie Shobe, Kwok’s sister, said Kwok made clothes from antique fabrics and tablecloths.
Kwok is pictured with two of his grandchildren and his sister Julie.
‘She helped tons of people. “She always wanted to take care of others,” Kwok’s sister, Julie Shobe, told KSTP. ‘I thought I would die before her, so it’s crazy. Terribly sad.’
Shobe said Kwok was a member of the Lowertown Lofts Artists Cooperative in St. Paul, which became his main creative outlet.
“He had a lot of interests,” Shobe said. ‘I made clothes from old fabrics or reused antiques. He made shirts out of old tablecloths, like women’s clothing.
The cooperative wrote a social media post immediately after news of the shooting spread, before Kwok or the suspect was identified.
‘This afternoon, one of our members was shot and killed while working on an art project outside our building. “We don’t have much information at this time, but we are working closely with authorities to resolve this tragic event,” the cooperative wrote on Facebook.
The statement continued: ‘We ask that our friends and neighbors do not speculate about the situation. “Our community is shocked and grieving as we deal with the unimaginable.”
Kwok’s friends at the cooperative later memorialized her and spoke to reporters right next to the mural she died on while working.
Ben Krywosz, left, and Tara Tieso, right, were among the cooperative members who praised Kwok.
Shobe said Kwok was a devout Christian, something they find comforting.
Later, Kwok’s friends at the cooperative commemorated her and spoke to reporters right next to the mural she died on while working.
‘The curiosity I mentioned before was there. He loved life,” said Ben Krywosz, the cooperative’s president.
Tara Tieso described Kwok as “brilliant.”
“Every time he talked to you, you saw little shiny things around him,” Tieso said.
“As I passed by, I was in a place that I loved very much,” Tieso added, explaining that several other artists were in the place with her. “She knew we loved her.”
Kwok leaves behind two children and four grandchildren.
“It’s extremely difficult,” Shobe said. “It’s unimaginable.”
Shobe said Kwok was a devout Christian, something that is a comfort to them.
“Our family pretty much rests in that peace,” Shobe said. “There are many people praying for us and I hope that God’s presence is comforting everyone.”