A Minneapolis man shot another man multiple times outside a northeast bar before walking away and leaving the scene with others, prosecutors say.
Joe Louis Hall Jr., 47, faces charges of first-degree assault and two counts of illegal possession of a firearm or ammunition after police identified him as the shooter through video footage and DNA evidence.
The shooting happened just before 2 a.m. on Sunday, June 28, 2026, outside the Palace Bar and Grill on the 2500 block of 4th Street Northeast in Minneapolis, according to the complaint.
READ MORE → Hennepin County coverage
Officers arrived to find the victim suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to the stomach. The victim had entered the bar after being shot, and officers provided aid until an ambulance transported him to the hospital for emergency surgery. The victim remained hospitalized into July.
Police recovered four discharged shell casings at the intersection near the bar. Surveillance video showed a heavyset Black male in a white t-shirt, ripped blue jeans, a necklace and a black Seattle Mariners hat with a grey bill inside the bar around 1:49 a.m. The man exited the bar a minute later, lingered outside with several people, then crossed the street and encountered the victim.
After a brief exchange, the man pulled a firearm and shot the victim multiple times. The victim tried to run but collapsed before managing to limp back to the bar for help.
Video showed the shooter walking away with others and getting into the passenger side of a vehicle parked nearby, which then left the area. DNA testing on the shell casings led police to identify Hall as a suspect. Officers compared photos of Hall to the surveillance footage and determined he matched the shooter.
Hall was taken into custody on August 3, 2026. In a post-Miranda interview, Hall admitted being at the bar that night and said he had argued with the victim, whom he knew from years earlier. Hall told investigators the two had a falling out over suspicions that Hall had informed on the victim regarding a gun charge, and that the victim had threatened him in the past.
Hall claimed the victim was involved in a gang and that during their confrontation outside the bar, he saw the victim with a gun. Hall admitted to having a firearm and shooting the victim four or five times, but said he was not trying to kill him. He also admitted to having a different gun in his vehicle, which police later recovered with a search warrant.
The complaint notes Hall was adjudicated delinquent for fifth-degree controlled substance sale in 1995 and possession of a short-barreled shotgun that same year, both classified as crimes of violence. He was also convicted federally of distribution of cocaine in 2009, and has three prior convictions for illegal firearm possession in 2015, 2001 and 2009. The charges were filed August 5, 2026.
About This Charge
Minnesota classifies assault by degree under § 609.221 (first), § 609.222 (second), § 609.223 (third), § 609.2231 (fourth) and § 609.224 (fifth). First-degree assault, alleging great bodily harm, carries up to 20 years in prison. The lower degrees range from misdemeanor up to 10-year felony exposure depending on weapon use and harm.
Related MN CRIME Coverage
Felon Opened Fire on Masked Jeep Crew in Minneapolis Alley • Woman Charged After Metal Pipe Assault on Nicollet Mall • Eden Prairie Man Rams Car Head-On After Death Threat
Jurisdictional Context
Hennepin County is Minnesota’s most populous jurisdiction. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office handles felony prosecutions across Minneapolis and 45 surrounding cities; the Fourth Judicial District presides over felony arraignments and trials at the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis.
