Teen's Stepfather Fired At SUV Before Fatal Woodbury Shooting: PD

WOODBURY, MN — The stepfather of Demaris Hobbs-Ekdahl, the 14-year-old who was fatally shot at a graduation party Saturday, has been arrested and charged in connection with the events that led to the fatal shooting, the Woodbury Public Safety Department said.

Keith Dawson, of Saint Paul, was booked into the Washington County Sheriff's Office Sunday morning, police said. He is facing charges of drive by shooting, illegal possession of a firearm, and second-degree assault, police said.

Charges against the person who shot and killed Hobbs-Ekdahl have still not been announced.

On Saturday night, officers were dispatched to Edgewood Avenue to respond to reports of people screaming, police said. People at the scene described a drive by shooting that involved a white SUV that had fled the area, as well as a black SUV, police said.

The white SUV, a Chevrolet Tahoe driven by Dawson, was stopped at Regions Hospital, where officers found Hobbs-Ekdahl with gunshot wounds, along with two unharmed juveniles, police said. Hobbs-Ekdahl was taken inside the hospital, where he died, police said.

Dawson told officers that he learned that a group Hobbs-Ekdahl was with was involved in an altercation with a "rival group of people," but that Hobbs-Ekdahl himself wasn't involved, police said. Details of the altercation are still being investigated, police said.

Dawson said he met up with Hobbs-Ekdahl and the two juveniles in a nearby neighborhood before driving to the neighborhood of the initial altercation alone in his SUV, police said. Dawson said he shot at the dark SUV to scare the other group because they were "messing with his kids," police said.

The group in the black SUV returned fire, and hit Hobbs-Ekdahl, who was following Dawson in a car with two other juveniles, police said. Dawson said he didn't know the boy was following him in a separate car, police said.

Dawson will make his initial court appearance Tuesday morning, police said.

This is a breaking story and will be updated as more information becomes available.