Long-Lost Suni Lee Statue Recovered After Shots Fired Call In St. Paul

ST. PAUL, MN — Saint Paul police recovered the bronze statue of Olympic gold medalist Suni Lee after responding to a shots-fired call early Thursday morning.

Officers responded to a residence on the 900 block of Forest Street shortly after 12:30 a.m. following reports of gunfire.

On scene, they found spent rifle casings outside the multi-unit home. Officers made several announcements, and multiple people exited the residence. A protective sweep found no additional people inside and no injuries were reported.

Police obtained a search warrant and recovered multiple firearms and ammunition from inside the home.

They also located the bronze Suni Lee statue, still intact, which had been reported stolen from Phalen Regional Park on July 31, 2025.

An adult male was arrested and booked into the Ramsey County Jail on a felony charge of receiving stolen property in connection with the statue. No arrests have been made in the shooting investigation.

"Our city honored a great American, Minnesotan, and Saint Paulite, with a statue to celebrate her incredible achievements in multiple Olympic Games," Saint Paul Police Chief Axel Henry said in the release.

"Last year, disrespectful and shameless thieves decided to desecrate this tribute by stealing the statue from our community. I am happy to report that the statue of Suni Lee has been recovered thanks to our officers' diligent response to what began as a shots fired call."

Police said plans are underway to reinstall the statue at Phalen Regional Park.

The statue was unveiled after Lee became the first Hmong American to compete in the Olympics. She won a gold medal in the all-around gymnastics competition at the Tokyo Games in 2021.

The tribute has served as a point of pride for the East Side community and St. Paul as a whole, where Lee was born and raised.