St. Paul man is now facing a 3rd murder count tied to separate shootings in Minneapolis

A 20-year-old St. Paul man is now facing three murder charges in separate killings in Minneapolis in recent years.

Albert Jerome Lucas was charged Wednesday in Hennepin County District Court in connection with the killing of 20-year-old Antonio Vernon Harper of Minneapolis on Nov. 6, 2023, in Minneapolis in the 3300 block of Dupont Avenue N.

Lucas, who has been jailed since May and remains held in lieu of $2 million bail, is scheduled to appear in court early Thursday afternoon. He does not yet have an attorney listed in court records for this latest charge.

According to Wednesday’s criminal complaint, which charges Lucas with one count of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder:

Officers arrived to the scene and saw Harper on the ground suffering from a fatal gunshot wound to the chest.

A witness told police that she saw three males “hugging” the side of a home and looking toward Harper and two of his friends. Gunfire from Lucas erupted, hitting Harper, and the suspects fled in a car. One of Harper’s friends shared with officers that the shooting was gang-related.

Officers saw the vehicle two days later and determined it had been stolen in St. Paul. The driver fled police, but officers soon found the vehicle. DNA on a cigar wrapper inside the vehicle was tested and came back as a match for Lucas.