Artist is killed execution-style while leaning over her street mural in random attack: 'One of the most cold-blooded things I've ever seen'

A Minnesota artist was gunned down last Wednesday while painting her street mural in an attack police are calling 'random' and 'cold-blooded.'

Carrie Shobe Kwok, 66, of St. Paul, was kneeling over a colorful art project she'd been working on to brighten the community when surveillance footage showed the moment she was shot and killed.

The gunman, later identified as 29-year-old Seantrell Murdock, was found at an address in Belle Plaine, which is about an hour from St. Paul.

As St. Paul Police prepared to confront Murdock on Thursday, he came out of the house wielding a handgun. Two officers shot him and he was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center, where he died.

St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry said what happened to Kwok was 'one of the most cold-blooded things I've seen in my life,' since they found no evidence that she and Murdock knew each other or had even gotten in a fight, KSTP reported.

'This murder that took place in our city, which led us to be talking about this officer-involved shooting today has all kinds of hallmarks and flags that I think are going to come out in the coming days that we as a state and a country need to start taking more seriously,' Henry said during a news conference.

Murdock, who had four children, suffered from bipolar and schizoaffective disorders, court documents uncovered by KSTP reveal.

CBS reported that Murdock's mother brought him to the ER in January 2023 over mental health concerns.

While there, court records show Murdock physically and verbally assaulted staff, which necessitated 'physical restraints and emergency medications.'

He said he was 'scared of himself,' while offering contradictory statements. He said he didn't want to harm anyone before also saying he 'wanted to kill others.'

That same year, a Scott County judge ordered that he be civilly committed, an order that was stayed.

This means that as long as Murdock participated voluntarily in treatment, the court will not enforce the order of commitment, according to NAMI Minnesota.

It's unclear if he sought or kept up with treatment, but Murdock's case was dismissed in August 2023.

Murdock is also a felon who was convicted of first-degree burglary in 2014. 

Meanwhile, Kwok is being remembered by family and friends as gentle soul who was extremely generous.

'She helped tons of people. She always wanted to take care of others,' Kwok's sister Julie Shobe told KSTP. 'I thought I would die before her, so it's crazy. Terribly sad.' 

Shobe said Kwok was a member of the Lowertown Lofts Artist Cooperative in St. Paul, which became her main creative outlet.

'She had a lot of interests,' Shobe said. 'She made clothes out of vintage fabrics or she repurposed antiques. She made shirts out of old tablecloths, like women's wear.'

The co-op wrote a social media post immediately after the news of the shooting spread, before Kwok or the suspect was identified.

'This afternoon one of our members was shot and killed while working on an art project outside of our building. We don't have a lot of information right now, but we are working closely with the authorities to resolve this tragic event,' the co-op wrote on Facebook. 

The statement continued: 'We ask that our friends and neighbors not speculate about the situation. Our community is in shock and grief as we grapple with the unimaginable.'

Later, Kwok's friends at the co-op memorialized her, speaking to reporters just beside the mural she died while working on.

'The curiosity that I mentioned earlier was there. She loved life,' said Ben Krywosz, the president of the co-op.

Tara Tieso described Kwok as 'sparkly.'

'Every time she talked to you, you saw little sparkly things around her,' Tieso said.

'As she passed, she was in a place that she loved so, so very much,' Tieso added, explaining that several other artists were at the scene with her. 'She knew that we loved her.'

Kwok leaves behind two children and four grandchildren.

'It's extremely difficult,' Shobe said. 'It's unimaginable.' 

Shobe said Kwok was a devout Christian, something that is a comfort to them.

'Our family is pretty much resting in that peace,' Shobe said. 'There's a lot of people praying for us, and I'm thinking that God's presence is comforting everybody, I'm hoping.'