On or about May 25, 2026 at approximately 2:15 A.M., Minneapolis police responded to reports of a shooting in the area of the NE Palace Bar at 2500 4th Street Northeast in Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota. On scene officers located an adult female, V. O. (“Victim” herein) with a gunshot wound above her right knee. Officers transported Victim to the Hennepin County Medical Center (“HCMC” herein). At HCMC, Victim [NAME REDACTED] had been getting into her black Chrysler 200 when she was shot.
Victim said she thought the suspect who shot her may have driven away in a dark colored Tahoe. Officers spoke with N. D. (“Witness 1” herein). Witness 1 said she is Victim’s girlfriend. Witness 1 said she, Victim, and a few other friends had come from the Gold Room and stopped for gas at the Handy Stop on Lowry Avenue Northeast. Witness 1 reported she and Victim parked on the north side of Lowry, and they were waiting for another friend. Witness 1 said Victim was shot while they were waiting in the area with some other acquaintances.
Officers canvassed the area and recovered 15 discharged 9 mm cartridge casings. Officers also spoke with several businesses with security cameras. Officers reviewed surveillance footage from the NE Palace Bar and nearby Milestone cameras, which showed several individuals, including Victim, [NAME REDACTED] on the south side of Lowry Avenue Northeast. The video showed a dark colored SUV stop adjacent to the group, temporarily blocking the eastbound lane of Lowry Avenue Northeast. Shots were fired from the vicinity of the SUV towards the group on Lowry Avenue.
Officers were able to identify a suspect standing near the rear passenger side of the SUV, and this suspect fired multiple rounds across the street. The suspect was approximately 6 feet or taller, wearing a jersey with a large “66” number displaying on the back, a baseball cap, short jeans, and light-colored shoes. Following the shooting, the suspect entered the driver’s seat of the SUV and left the area. Officers reviewed surveillance video footage from inside the NE Palace Bar. Video from the front entrance showed a black male entering the bar wearing a royal blue jersey displaying “BULLS” on the front and the number “66” on the back, a blue baseball cap, jean shorts, large-framed glasses, and white and blue shoes.
This male matched the suspect officers saw firing shots in the surveillance video from outside the bar. Officers searched the Minneapolis Automated License Plate Readers (“ALPRs”) to identify if any squad cars had captured the suspect vehicle. On May 25, 2026 at approximately 1:19 A.M., a Minneapolis Police Department squad vehicle recorded an ALPR hit on a separate vehicle traveling on Lowry Avenue Northeast. The ALPR image also captured a dark colored SUV, matching the suspect vehicle, parked on the south side of Lowry Avenue Northeast.
