Laquell Kilgore-Hodges, Illegal Firearm, St. Paul MN, 2022

ST. PAUL, MN – A brazen daylight shootout in a quiet St. Paul neighborhood led to the guilty plea of Laquell Montreal Kilgore-Hodges, 25, on charges of illegal firearm possession. The incident, which unfolded last November, highlights the ongoing gun violence plaguing the city and the revolving door of criminals repeatedly breaking the law.

According to court documents, on November 18, 2021, at approximately 1:30 p.m., Kilgore-Hodges was behind the wheel of a rental vehicle when it became embroiled in a rolling gun battle with another car. The shootout unfolded in a residential area, sending bullets flying and endangering innocent bystanders. Kilgore-Hodges didn’t hesitate to escalate the danger, speeding away from the scene and blowing through a red light, ultimately colliding with another vehicle.

Rather than stopping to render aid or take responsibility, Kilgore-Hodges and his passengers abandoned the wrecked rental and fled on foot, seeking refuge in a nearby apartment building. A witness quickly alerted authorities, reporting they’d seen someone carrying a firearm as they bolted from the crash. A swift response from the Minnesota State Patrol and St. Paul Police Department led to the detention of Kilgore-Hodges and his cohorts.

A subsequent search, authorized by a warrant, yielded a cache of weapons: multiple magazines and four firearms, including a Glock, model 19, 9mm pistol. The evidence quickly tied Kilgore-Hodges to the gun. Forensic DNA analysis confirmed a direct match between his DNA profile and that found on the Glock 19, definitively excluding others. Ballistics testing further cemented the connection, revealing that the discharged cartridge casings recovered from both the rental vehicle and the shootout scene were fired from that same Glock 19.

This wasn’t Kilgore-Hodges’ first brush with the law. With prior felony convictions already on his record in both Ramsey and Wright Counties, he was legally prohibited from possessing any firearms or ammunition. Yet, he brazenly flouted the law, putting himself and the community at risk. Today, he pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court before Senior Judge Michael J. Davis to one count of possessing a firearm as a felon. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

The investigation was a joint effort by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Saint Paul Police Department, and the Minnesota State Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar is prosecuting the case, aiming to hold Kilgore-Hodges accountable for his actions and remove another dangerous criminal from the streets. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on the sentencing.

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