A Minnesota man has been convicted of murder in the shooting death of a St. Paul father of two, bringing a major development in a case that began with a road-rage dispute nearly two years ago.
Ian Loi Bursey, 27, was found guilty Monday of two counts of second-degree murder and a charge involving a drive-by shooting toward an occupied vehicle or building in connection with the death of 26-year-old Tajai Evans. The verdict stems from the Nov. 4, 2024, confrontation in St. Paul.
The case began on the road, where Bursey and the occupants of a Toyota Corolla gave investigators sharply different accounts of what led to the shooting.
Bursey told police he had been driving his Hyundai Sonata while heading to work as a Lyft and Uber driver. He said the Corolla had cut him off several times and that he became upset after Evans and the driver appeared to laugh and point at him when he confronted them.
The Corolla driver told investigators the situation unfolded differently. He said Bursey pulled in front of the Toyota and brake-checked them before the two vehicles ended up near one another at a red light. Bursey allegedly accused the driver of cutting him off, although the driver denied doing so.
The dispute continued after the Corolla stopped at a tobacco store. Investigators said Bursey followed the vehicle into the area, drove past it and threw something at the car before leaving.
Later, Evans and the driver encountered Bursey’s Hyundai again. Evans got out of the Corolla and approached Bursey, who was sitting inside his vehicle.
According to the driver’s account given to police, Evans punched Bursey. Within seconds, Bursey opened fire.
Evans was struck multiple times. He managed to get back into the Corolla, and the driver attempted to take him to the hospital. The vehicle crashed near 12th and Cedar streets, where police found Evans suffering from gunshot wounds.
A nearby nurse began performing CPR before emergency medical personnel arrived, but Evans was pronounced dead at the scene. The Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that he died from multiple gunshot wounds.
Bursey remained near the original shooting location and called 911 himself. When officers arrived, they found him with a bloody nose. Investigators also recovered a handgun, ammunition and spent shell casings from his vehicle.
Bursey told police he had been attacked and claimed he fired because he believed he was in danger. He said he did not intend to kill Evans and suggested the people in the Corolla might have been armed.
Investigators found no evidence, according to the earlier charging documents, that Evans was carrying a weapon when he approached Bursey. Surveillance footage also became part of the investigation and showed the Corolla had been parked for several minutes before Bursey returned to the area and re-engaged with the occupants.
The shooting left Evans’ family and friends mourning a 26-year-old father whose life centered around his two young children. His death drew attention to how quickly a dispute between drivers can escalate into deadly violence.
The jury’s guilty verdict now moves the case into the sentencing phase. Bursey is scheduled for another court hearing on Dec. 4 and is expected to be sentenced on Dec. 11.
The conviction marks the latest development in a case that began with an argument over driving behavior and ended with the death of a young father.
