A Minneapolis man opened fire near a busy downtown intersection in September 2025, shooting three people in the legs and sending bystanders fleeing, according to charges.
Sean Donzell Cole, who was 33 at the time of the alleged offense, faces three counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon causing substantial bodily harm and one count of possessing a firearm as a prohibited person.
According to the complaint, officers responded at about 6:35 p.m. on September 26, 2025, to the intersection of Hennepin Avenue South and 8th Street North in Minneapolis after a report of a shooting. Three people were found with gunshot wounds to their legs. One victim was located on the stairs of a nearby bar and told officers he had been walking north on Hennepin Avenue when he heard gunshots from behind.
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He ran across the street but was struck in the leg and flagged down a passing driver, who dropped him off at the bar.
Two other victims were found near the bus shelter at the intersection, both also shot in the legs. Surveillance video captured the shooter approaching one victim, pointing a gun and firing three rounds as the victim walked backward. The victim fell and retrieved his own firearm from a bag. As he raised his weapon, the shooter retreated southbound, firing seven more rounds blindly to the north in the direction of a large group of people, causing them to scatter.
Officers recovered 10 9mm cartridge casings at the scene, all determined to have been fired from the same gun. Known photos of the shooter were distributed to law enforcement, and an officer recognized the suspect as Sean Donzell Cole, who was known to frequent the area and had a distinctive mark on his cheek matching the suspect in the video.
Investigators interviewed one of the victims, who said he had stopped to purchase marijuana when he was shot at. He did not know the shooter and was unable to provide a detailed description.
On August 7, 2026, investigators spoke with Cole while he was incarcerated. Cole denied being the person in the surveillance photos but admitted to having a scar under his left eye consistent with the shooter and acknowledged being familiar with the area and involved in criminal activity there.
The complaint says Cole is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2014 conviction for threats of violence and a 2014 conviction for prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
The charges were filed October 1 in Hennepin County District Court.
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Jurisdictional Context
Hennepin County is Minnesota’s most populous jurisdiction. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office handles felony prosecutions across Minneapolis and 44 other cities; the Fourth Judicial District presides over felony arraignments and trials at the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis.
