On March 18, 2026, a double homicide at a home on Ryan Place in Lexington, Anoka County, killed 5-year-old Marzai Andrew Dawson and his 44-year-old mother, Jennifer Sue Marsaw. Law enforcement responded about 12:52 a.m. after a 911 call from one of the older children. Several older siblings had been out walking and, on returning, heard loud pops; one of them identified a man called Irving leaving the house holding a handgun before fleeing.

Officers and paramedics found Jennifer Marsaw dead of a gunshot wound to the chest. Marzai was taken to a nearby hospital with multiple gunshot wounds and later died; an autopsy confirmed he died from a gunshot wound to the back. A K-9 unit located 53-year-old Irving Van Marsaw of Minneapolis hiding in woods near the residence; he was arrested and treated for injuries. A 9mm handgun was recovered along his suspected path of flight.

Authorities describe the incident as not random. Van Marsaw, identified as the victim’s estranged partner, was charged with two counts of second-degree murder with intent. Court documents allege prior domestic violence, threats to kill, and a dispute the day before in which she made him leave after an argument involving a knife; bail was set at $5 million. Does anyone have information that could help clarify what happened that night?