A Minnesota artist was shot while painting her street mural last Wednesday in an attack that police are calling “random” and “cold-blooded.”
Carrie Shobe Kwok, 66, of St. Paul, knelt over a colorful art project she had been working on to cheer up the community when surveillance footage showed the moment she was shot and killed.
The shooter, later identified as 29-year-old Seatrell Murdock, was found at an address in Belle Plaine, about an hour’s drive from St. Paul.
As St. Paul police prepared to confront Murdock on Thursday, he emerged from the house with a gun in hand. Two officers shot him and he was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center, where he died.
St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry said what happened to Kwok was “one of the most cold-blooded things I’ve seen in my life,” as they found no evidence that she and Murdock knew each other or had even had an argument. , KSTP reported.
Carrie Shobe Kwok, 66, lived in St. Paul and was shot in a random, cold-blooded attack, according to police.
St. Paul police say this man, 29-year-old Seantrell Murdock, was the suspect who killed Kwok. He was killed by two officers outside a home in Belle Plaine
Pictured: the mural Kwok was working on when she was shot. Friends and loved ones have now 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 out in the coming days so that we as a state and a country we have to take it more seriously,” Henry said during a press conference.
Murdock, who had four children, suffered from bipolar and schizoaffective disorders, according to court documents uncovered by KSTP.
CBS reported that Murdock’s mother took him to the ER in January 2023 for mental health issues.
Court records show Murdock physically and verbally assaulted the staff, necessitating “physical restraints and emergency medication.”
He said he was “afraid of himself” while making 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 that he be committed civilly, 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 treatment or continued, but Murdock’s case was dismissed in August 2023.
Murdock is also a felon who was convicted of first-degree burglary in 2014.
Meanwhile, Kwok is remembered by family and friends as a gentle soul who was extremely generous.
Julie Shobe, Kwok’s sister, said Kwok made clothes from vintage fabrics and tablecloths
Kwok is pictured with two of her grandchildren and her sister Julie
‘She helped a lot of people. She always wanted to take care of others,” Kwok’s sister Julie Shobe told KSTP. “I thought I was going to die before them, so it’s crazy. Terribly sad.’
Shobe said Kwok was a member of the Lowertown Lofts Artist Cooperative in St. Paul, which became her main creative outlet.
“She had a lot of interests,” Shobe said. ‘She made clothes from vintage fabrics or recycled antiques. She made shirts from old tablecloths, like women’s clothing.’
The cooperative wrote a message on social media immediately after news of the shooting spread, before identifying Kwok or the suspect.
‘This afternoon one of our members was shot and killed while working on an art project outside our building. We do not 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 our friends and neighbors not to speculate about the situation. Our community is in shock and grief as we grapple with the unimaginable.”
Later, Kwok’s friends at the co-op remembered her and spoke to reporters right next to the mural she died working on.
Ben Krywosz, left, and Tara Tieso, right, were among the cooperative members who praised Kwok
Shobe said Kwok was a devout Christian, something that is a comfort to them
Later, Kwok’s friends at the co-op remembered her and spoke to reporters right next to the mural she died working on.
‘The curiosity I talked about earlier was there. She loved life,” said Ben Krywosz, the cooperative’s president.
Tara Tieso described Kwok as ‘sparkling’.
“Every time she talked to you, you would see little sparkly things around her,” Tieso said.
“When she came over, she was in a place she loved so much,” Tieso added, explaining that there were several other artists on site with her. “She knew we loved her.”
Kwok is survived by two children and four grandchildren.
“It’s extremely difficult,” Shobe said. ‘It’s unbelievable.’
Shobe said Kwok was a devout Christian, something that is a comfort to them.
“Our family pretty much rests in that peace,” Shobe said. “We have a lot of people praying for us, and I think God’s presence comforts everyone, I hope.”