Inver Grove Heights Teen Indicted In South St. Paul Killing

DAKOTA COUNTY, MN — A Dakota County grand jury Nov. 6 indicted an Inver Grove Heights teen on murder and attempted murder charges in a South St. Paul shooting that happened in April.

Marcelino S. Lopez, 19, is accused of killing 20-year-old Brandon J. Nieves on April 2 and wounding a 16-year-old, who survived his gunshot injuries.

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

On April 2, 2020 at approximately 1:30 p.m., South St. Paul Police officers were dispatched to a report of gunshots being fired. Upon arrival, officers located two males lying in the street, both of whom had sustained gunshot wounds. A 20-year-old male, later identified as Brandon Jose Nieves, was pronounced dead at the scene from an apparent gunshot wound to the head. A 16-year-old male was transported to the hospital with a gunshot wound to the chest, where he remains in critical condition.

Multiple witnesses were at the scene and reported seeing a lone male, later identified as Lopez, fire a shotgun at both victims before leaving northbound in a silver vehicle. Witnesses at the scene reported seeing Lopez pull up in front of a South St. Paul address in a silver SUV and another vehicle carrying the Victims and three other people pull up behind Lopez's vehicle. When the Victims and the others exited the vehicle they were in, they observed the silver SUV drive away a short distance and then stop. Lopez exited his vehicle with a shotgun and shot both Victims. Lopez fled the scene in the silver SUV. Witnesses reported that none of the people who exited the Victims' vehicle had a gun, including the Victims.

As officers were interviewing witnesses, Lopez contacted the Dakota Communications Center and reported he had just shot two people. West St. Paul police officers responded to his location and observed him in a silver SUV. Lopez was taken into custody and officers located a shotgun in the SUV.

Lopez admitted he had gone to the location where the Victims were with the intention of fighting Brandon Nieves. Lopez indicated he had arranged on social media to fight Nieves because Nieves was currently involved in a romantic relationship with Lopez's ex-girlfriend. Lopez claimed he arrived to fight Nieves and used his shotgun when he saw multiple people getting out of the car. Lopez admitted he had threatened to kill Nieves on social media several times before meeting up with him on April 2, 2020 to fight.

"Our sympathy is extended to family and friends of Brandon Nieves for their great loss, and 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," Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom said in a statement.