Murder Charge Filed In Monday's Eagan Shooting

EAGAN, MN — A St. Paul man is accused of fatally shooting a man near a hotel in Eagan on Monday. Robert L. Baker, 29, was charged Thursday with second-degree murder and ineligible possession of firearm.

Police said Baker — who is not allowed to possess firearms due to his criminal history — fatally shot Maurice A. Anderson, 29, of Minneapolis.

Anderson died with 11 gunshot wounds, including one to his head, according to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office.

In a news release, the Dakota County Attorney's Office provided the following summary of the facts contained in the criminal complaint filed in the case:

Around 9:00 p.m. on November 9, 2020, Eagan police officers responded to a report of shots fired at a hotel in Eagan. One of the callers indiciated there was a male laying on the ground outside the hotel, another caller reported a red car leaving the area at a high rate of speed. Officers arrived and after attempts to revive Mr. Anderson, he died at the scene.

Shortly after responding the scene, officers located vehicle matching the description provided in the 911 call. Officers stopped the vehicle and identified the driver as J.M.A., and the front seat passenger as Baker. Both occupants were arrested.

J.M.A. told police that she and Baker had gone to an Eagan hotel to meet up with J.S., a friend of J.M.A.’s. After J.S. came outside and got into the backseat of the car, two males with handguns got into the backseat on either side of J.S. and told them to drive. J.M.A. said she drove to an adjacent hotel parking lot, pulled over, and the males then got out of the car and robbed her and Baker. J.M.A. believed Baker got out of the car and shortly after heard shooting. When the shooting had stopped, Baker jumped back into the car. They drove J.S. back to where she was staying and were stopped by police.

Officers talked with Baker who initially confirmed that J.S. got into the car with them and then two males got in who robbed them. Baker initially denied knowing what happened during the shooting, only saying he heard shots. He then said that after they were robbed, the suspects ran away and he got out of the car and chased them with a gun and yelled at them to give him his stuff back. Baker first stated that one of the males who robbed him turned and pointed a gun at him and he started shooting. He later said that both males who had robbed him pointed guns at him, and he fired his gun striking one of the males. He did not recall how many times he fired. He indicated he was approximately 30 feet away from the Victim when he started shooting, and as close as 2-3 feet away at the time he was closest to the Victim when shooting him. Baker said he placed the gun he used, a .40 caliber handgun, in a backpack that was in the vehicle he was stopped in.

Officers were unable to locate a firearm near the Victim, however, officers did find 16 discharged cartridge casings consistent with the .40 caliber handgun Baker admitted he used to shoot the Victim. The casings found were in multiple areas at the scene, consistent with Baker’s claim that he chased the Victim as he was shooting him. There were no other types of discharge cartridge casings located at the scene. Officers obtained a search warrant for the vehicle Baker was stopped in and located a .40 caliber handgun, and a BB gun. When questioned about the BB gun, Baker admitted that after he shot the Victim, he collected J.M.A.’s phone and the gun the Victim used for the robbery.

Officers eventually spoke with J.S., who said that shortly after she got in the car, two males got in the backseat with guns, and one of the males said to Baker, “Remember me, b____?” The two males robbed them, then got out of the car and started running. Baker got out of the car with a gun and started chasing the two males, firing his gun multiple times.

Baker made his first court Thursday morning. Bail was set at $1,500,000 without conditions and $1,000,000 with conditions.

His next court appearance was set for Nov. 25.