Complaint: St. Olaf Student Killed as Bystander in Robbery

South St. Paul, MN (KROC-AM News) - The criminal complaint against the man accused of killing a Northfield college student and athlete last Friday describes the victim as an innocent bystander to a robbery.

The court document, filed in Dakota County Court today, charges 20-year-old Terrel Anthony Ranzy with second-degree murder, second-degree manslaughter, and illegal possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a crime of violence. The St. Paul man was formally arraigned on the charges today, and his conditional bail was set at $400,000.

Victim Identified as College Student and Athlete

According to the complaint, the victim, 20-year-old Matthew Robert Lee, was with Ranzy and a group of others when they went to a residence in South St. Paul around 3 AM on September 12. South St. Paul police were sent to the house about 45 minutes later on what was initially reported as a medical call. They found Lee on the floor of an upstairs bedroom with a large amount of blood on his clothing. He was unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene.

A GoFundMe online fundraiser benefiting the victim's mother identified him as a graduate of South St. Paul High School and a "dedicated student-athlete at Saint Olaf College.

The complaint says officers also found another 20-year-old man with a tourniquet on his left arm and apparent gunshot wounds to his arms and torso. A handgun was also found on a table in the room.

Witnesses Describe Robbery Plan That Turned Deadly

The court document says witnesses told investigators that the other man told Lee and a witness that he planned to rob Ranzy of his gun. Despite being urged by Lee and the witness not to do it, the second man allegedly pulled out his firearm and ordered Ranzy to hand over his weapon.

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The complaint says a witness told officers that Ranzy responded by falling backward onto a bed and firing his gun multiple times, striking Lee and the other man. The witness also said the would-be robber and Ranzy both fired their weapons. Investigators later recovered 14 spent shell casings from two different firearms at the scene.

Witnesses told police that Ranzy then fled the home. He was later found hiding inside a shed on a nearby property and was taken into custody.

The criminal complaint does not indicate whether the other man will face charges in connection with the fatal shooting.

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