A 21-year-old man from Maplewood, Minnesota, has been sentenced to 32 years in prison for shooting and killing another young man during a gang-related dispute over a rap song in St. Paul.
Romello Ifonlaja-Randle was sentenced in Ramsey County District Court after pleading guilty to second-degree murder and illegal possession of a firearm in connection with the death of Marcus Anthony Baker Jr., who was 20 years old at the time of the shooting.
The incident happened on August 14, 2023, on Raspberry Island, a popular gathering spot in St. Paul. The conflict started when Baker played a song by a local rapper known as NLU Skeet, who is reportedly associated with East Side gangs in the city. The music led to a fatal argument between Baker and Ifonlaja-Randle, who claimed ties to a rival group.
According to court documents, Baker was sitting in the back seat of an SUV, playing the music out loud. At some point, Ifonlaja-Randle approached and told Baker to turn it off. When Baker refused and asked if Ifonlaja-Randle was from the rival West Side, he responded that he was from the “dub,” which authorities understand as West Side gang slang.
Words escalated to violence when Ifonlaja-Randle hit Baker in the face. As Baker tried to exit the SUV, Ifonlaja-Randle pulled out a gun and shot him multiple times before running away with others.
Police officers who responded to the scene found a chaotic situation. There were several used bullet casings on the ground, two unopened bottles of tequila, and Baker, who had been shot three times, still inside the SUV. Emergency responders took him to Regions Hospital, where he later died.
Investigators used surveillance video and other evidence to track down the suspect. They discovered that the tequila bottles found at the scene had been purchased at a Target store in West St. Paul. Store footage from the day before the shooting showed Ifonlaja-Randle leaving with the bottles and getting into the same SUV described by witnesses.
Police arrested Ifonlaja-Randle a week later in Brooklyn Center. During the arrest, officers recovered handguns and fake oxycodone pills, often linked to street drug use.
Court records also revealed that Ifonlaja-Randle should not have had a gun at all. He had three prior felony convictions — two for aggravated robbery and one for assault — which legally banned him from owning or carrying firearms.
As part of his sentencing, Ifonlaja-Randle is expected to serve about 20 years behind bars, with the remaining 12 years served under supervised release, assuming he meets conditions while in custody.
This case is part of a larger concern in St. Paul, where authorities say that tensions between East Side and West Side gangs have recently led to violence and even murders. Investigators noted that some gang members use rap music as a way to taunt their rivals on social media and in public.
While this was not the first incident tied to music and gang affiliations, it highlighted how quickly things can turn violent, even over something as simple as playing a song.
The shooting left Marcus Baker’s family and community grieving, and serves as a grim reminder of how deep gang conflicts can run, especially among young people in the Twin Cities area.
