Man, 19, charged with fatal shooting in Cub Foods parking lot
Anoka County Jail
A 19-year-old man has been charged with the murder of a man of the same age outside a Cub Foods in Coon Rapids Monday afternoon.
Vaughn Coklas, of Andover, has been charged with 2nd-degree murder with intent in the death of Staveonte El Brown in the parking lot of the Cub Foods at 2050 Northdale Boulevard.
According to the criminal complaint, eyewitnesses told police that a Pontiac Grand Prix driven by Coklas had pulled into the parking lot, and was joined shortly after by Brown, who pulled alongside in a Hyundai Sante Fe.
Brown then got into Coklas' car, at which point a fight broke out inside the vehicle, which then spilled outside into the parking lot.
The pair then separated, with Brown then picking up money that had fallen out of the car and onto the ground.
It was as Brown was picking up money that Coklas pulled out a gun, closing the distance between the two and firing at Brown. He died from a gunshot wound to the chest.
Witnesses told police that Brown did not appear to be armed in any way, nor was he making any physical or verbal threats to Coklas when the shooting happened.
