Musician robbed and shot minutes before he was scheduled to play in show: report

Aaron Lee and his girlfriend Katie Szczepaniak. Lee was robbed and shot just minutes before he was scheduled to play a show late Friday, police said, according to the New York Post.  (Facebook)

Detectives in Minneapolis are searching for a suspect on Monday who robbed and shot a musician just minutes before he was scheduled to play a show late Friday, police said.

Aaron “Hix” Lee and his girlfriend, Katie Szczepaniak, were approached by the suspect at about 10:30 Friday, just before Lee’s rock band, Red Daughters, was set to play at the 331 Club. The suspect, who approached the couple from behind, demanded their phones and wallets, Szczepaniak told the Star Tribune.

“He seemed like a loose cannon,” she told the newspaper, adding that the couple complied with the man’s demands before he turned around and shot Lee, who is well known on the city’s local music scene.

Szczepaniak somehow managed to hide her phone from their attacker and called 911, according to a GoFundMe campaign set up to offset Lee’s medical costs. Several surgeries later, he’s expected to survive, but a bullet that entered his stomach and later became lodged in his leg will remain there for the rest of his life, according to the website.

“Those of us who are lucky enough to call him [a] friend and family, know that he has the biggest heart and is the most considerate person you will likely ever meet,” the website continued. “You also know that if you are considered his friend, you ARE his family as well. He works hard, plays hard, and gives his heart and soul to his music and the people around him.”

Minneapolis police spokesman John Elder said an investigation into the incident remained “very active” as of midday Monday. No arrests had been made, Elder told The Post.

The suspect has been described as a black male in his 40s who wore a dark jacket with a hood, Elder said. Investigators also are looking into whether a white SUV may be involved in the suspect’s getaway, Elder said.

A fundraiser will be held for Lee on Saturday at Pizza Nea, where he works as a server, according to the Star Tribune.

“Everybody loves Aaron,” owner Michael Sherwood told the newspaper. “He just glows with happiness and warmth. There’s no finer human being.”

This article originally appeared in the New York Post.