Woman killed in Lowertown shooting remembered by family as multitalented, caring artist

Before Carrie Shobe Kwok was shot to death while painting a mural outside the Lowertown Lofts Artist Cooperative, she was excited about her new home among fellow artists.

Kwok, 66, who moved into the St. Paul apartment in February, wanted to make friends with her new neighbors and support the community by painting the mural ahead of the city's annual fall art crawl.

"It was one of her dreams for a long time, for many decades, to go live in an art community," said her son, Bill Kwok of St. Paul.

Authorities on Friday identified Kwok as the victim of Wednesday's apparently random shooting.

They also on Friday identified her suspected killer as Seantrell Tyreese Murdock, 29, of Belle Plaine. Officers fatally shot Murdock as they attempted to arrest him Thursday in Belle Plaine. Police said he was armed at the time.

St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry said in a news conference Thursday that there was no indication Kwok knew her killer. He said her death was one of the most brazen acts he's seen in 30 years of policing.

"I've never seen anything like that even in a movie. It is awful," Henry said.

Kwok had two children and four grandchildren, and was employed part time as a hotel banquet worker, her sister Julie Shobe said. She described her sister as "strong, opinionated" and someone who "took care of a lot of people."

Kwok lived alone in the artist lofts after separating from her husband and moving from her former home in St. Paul.

Her family said Kwok enjoyed home remodeling, making clothes, sewing and selling vintage art and clothing. Not long before she was killed, Kwok was helping Shobe build a tiny house.

"I was shocked yesterday, and now I'm really sad, because I won't have her help anymore; we won't laugh any more," said Shobe, 71, of Bloomington. "We laughed until we cried sometimes."

The sisters would talk about religion and growing older together, she said. While she was an artist, Kwok's family said, her main focus was Christianity. Her son described her as a devout Christian who regularly attended Bible study group sessions with other women. He said his mother was someone who was very trusting.

"A lot of what she was doing is more Christian-based, as far as community activism and that kind of thing," he said.

After speaking with an officer who reviewed surveillance footage, Bill Kwok said his mother and Murdock appeared to exchange glances before Murdock walked away. He then returned and shot her.

Kwok's death comes days before the St. Paul fall art crawl, an event showcasing work from artists across Lowertown and Minnesota. In a statement, event organizers said they hope to honor Kwok's memory.

"Her passion for creativity reminds us of the essential role that art plays in our community — it connects us, heals us, and allows us to express our deepest emotions," St. Paul Art Collective Executive Director Mariusz Kujawski said in the statement.

Artists who lived and worked near Kwok remembered her as an energetic pillar of the Lowertown Lofts Artist Cooperative. In a statement, the cooperative said that in her eight-month residency, Kwok "endeared herself to all of us with her vivacious personality and sparkly demeanor."

"Carrie was one of [the artists] who was particularly engaged and particularly life-affirming," cooperative member Ben Krywosz said at a news conference Friday.

Tara Tieso, another member of the cooperative, said Kwok was full of joy and energy.

"We care about each other really deeply, and Carrie was a beloved part of our family of artists," Tieso said.

On Sunday afternoon, Lost Fox, a coffee shop and restaurant near the site of the shooting, will host a public gathering to support the community in the wake of the shooting.

"We've been working on crime in the neighborhood for a really long time, and things seemed to get better," Lost Fox owner Annie Rose said. "The randomness of this crime … there's no way for us to understand it or compartmentalize it. I don't have a lot of words for it. All I know is that we can only show our strength as a community by being a community."

Downtown St. Paul has experienced a string of restaurant and office closings, with some business owners blaming increased crime.

St. Paul police fatally shot Murdock on Thursday morning after tracking him to a residence in the 100 block of Meridian Street in Belle Plaine. Officers confronted Murdock, who police said was armed with a handgun, before they shot him.

Both officers gave the man medical aid before he was airlifted to HCMC where he died.

The state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) on Friday identified the officers who fired on Murdock as Aaron Bohlen and Lance Christianson. Bohlen has 10 years of law enforcement experience, while Christianson has 20. They were placed on standard administrative leave as the BCA investigates.

The BCA didn't offer details on what led to the officers opening fire, only that Murdock was walking away from his residence when they confronted him.

Kwok's death was the 20th homicide this year in St. Paul. There were 24 by this time last year, according to a Minnesota Star Tribune database.

"As the evidence comes out in the next few days," Henry said, "I hope we use this as an opportunity to really revisit how serious we are as a state and as a country about the types of violence that have become all too common."

Staff writers Paul Walsh and Elliot Hughes contributed to this story.