Authorities are investigating the shooting of two men at a St. Paul convenience store Sunday morning that they believe may have stemmed from one of the men assaulting an employee.

About 7:30 a.m., several people called 911 to report gunfire at the store on the 300 block of Larpenteur Avenue, said St. Paul police spokesman Sgt. Toy Vixayvong.

Officers arrived to find two men with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds. They were taken to Regions Hospital.

Early investigation points to a confrontation between the men and the employee, which led to the gunfire, Vixayvong said.

Surveillance video shows the employee and one of the men arguing outside the gas station, he said. After one of the men began to assault the employee, the employee pulled out a gun and shot the two men.

The employee, a 22-year-old man, was booked into the Ramsey County jail on suspicion of aggravated assault and illegal possession of a firearm.

The investigation is ongoing.

— Kristi Miller

Barnsville, Minn.

Burglary suspect faces extradition from N.D.

A Fargo, N.D., man has been arrested in a Minnesota burglary involving a large safe.

According to a release from the Wilkin County Sheriff’s Office, Benjamin Emerson, 37, of Fargo, arrived Dec. 20 at a home south of Barnesville and parked in the garage before walking into the home.

A security system caught him rolling a safe out of the home and into the garage, where he attempted to load the safe into his truck using a floor jack.

He wasn’t successful, the release said, so he dragged the safe out of the yard and left the area.

Following the alleged burglary, police circulated a photo of the suspect and his truck on Facebook and asked people to help identify the man.

On Friday, deputies with the Wilkin County Sheriff’s Office worked with the Fargo Police Department to execute a search warrant for Emerson’s Fargo home.

Police arrested Emerson and transported him to the Cass County Jail for burglary and theft, the release said.

No charges have been filed in Minnesota yet, according to Minnesota court records.

However, Emerson has a lengthy list of offenses in North Dakota, including thefts and burglary, disorderly conduct, trespassing, violating protection orders, fleeing police officers, a host of driving offenses including driving under the influence, and more.

A hearing to extradite Emerson to Minnesota was held Friday in Cass County court. No attorney was listed for Emerson.

— Forum News Service