Sister of Killed Minnetonka Student: It Was a Set Up

St. Paul police are investigating a shooting that killed a 16-year-old Minnetonka High School student and injured another victim.

St. Paul police officers were called to an alley on the 700 block of Sims Avenue in the Payne-Phalen neighborhood at about 7:30 a.m. Sunday on a report of shots fired. Upon arrival, officers discovered two adult females suffering from injuries.

One victim, who has been identified as 16-year-old Samantha Lea Burnette, was pronounced dead at the scene. Burnette attended Minnetonka High School.

The other victim, Burnette’s 20-year-old sister Brittany Rock, was transported to Regions Hospital for treatment. Police said she was struck in the head and was not shot.

Burnette died in a St. Paul alley as her sister held her.

Police announced Tuesday that two people have been charged in connection to the murder, and two others have been arrested.

The Pioneer Press reported that Rock believes she and her sister were set up to be robbed.

Rock said the shooting happened after she, her younger sister and friends were driving around. Kalisa Chardale Smith, 29, of St. Paul, was driving. Burnette was in the backseat, sleeping.

Smith pulled into an alley near Walsh Street and Sims Avenue and left the car to talk to someone.

Smith entered a nearby parked truck with someone else and drove off.

"Maybe 10, 15 seconds later, two guys came walking from around the garage up to the car," Rock said.

Rock tried to exit the car, but two men got in and one pulled a gun and pistol whipped her. The suspects demanded they give over everything they had.

"He pointed the gun at me, snatched my phone and kept saying 'give me everything,'" Rock told KSTP.

Rock was able to get out of the car. She tried to open her sister’s door when she heard a gunshot. The men then pushed Burnette out of the car.

Burnette's grandmother, Bonni Boudreau, spoke about her granddaughter's death Sunday in a Facebook post:

This morning I lost my granddaughter to murder. She was shot by some gun toting THUGS in St Paul. She was only 16 and these lowlife thugs took her from us. I raised this beautiful young lady since she was 1 year old. I love and miss you Samantha Lea Burnette.

Burnette's funeral is 1:00 p.m. Friday at Cremation Services Minnesota, 4343 Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis. A visitation will begin at noon.

Police have arrested two people in connection to the fatal shooting.

"I am shocked and saddened to report a second Minnetonka student death in less than one week," Minnetonka High School Principal Erickson told students.

"Words cannot express our sorrow after learning that the young teen who was shot and killed in St. Paul Sunday morning was one of our students."

Last week, Scott Berzins, 17, was crossing Highway 7 near Minnetonka High School and Highway 101 when he was hit and killed.

Image via St. Paul Police Department