Wave of Violence Grips Minneapolis; 5 Shot Dead, More Hurt Within Hours
The scene where five people were shot in Minneapolis late Tuesday, April 29. MN CRIME PHOTO
Cedar Ave. & S. 17th Ave. after a fatal shooting on April 30. SUBMITTED
A deadly stretch of violence in south Minneapolis has left at least Five people dead and several others wounded in less than 24 hours.
Law enforcement has vowed to use every available resource to stop the cycle of shootings that officials say may be connected, gang-related and possibly retaliatory.
Near S. 15th Ave. & E. Lake St. on Wednesday night. MN CRIME PHOTO
Tuesday Night: Triple Homicide at Bloomington & 25th
Police say the violence began just before midnight Tuesday, when Minneapolis officers were dispatched to ShotSpotter activations and multiple 911 calls near East 25th Street and Bloomington Avenue. When they arrived, officers found five people shot near an alleyway: three men and two women.
Four of the victims had been inside a vehicle when gunfire broke out. Officers began CPR and other lifesaving efforts before EMS arrived, but two men and one woman died at the scene. The remaining man and woman were transported to Hennepin Healthcare with life-threatening injuries. No updates on their condition were given by late Wednesday, though the man’s injuries were initially described by officials as “grave.”
PREVIOUSLY: 3 Dead, 2 Hurt in South Minneapolis Mass Shooting
According to police, the deceased victims were identified as a 20-year-old woman, a 17-year-old boy and a 27-year-old man. The two injured victims were said to be a 28-year-old male and a 20-year-old woman.
Authorities said early evidence shows the shooting was targeted.
Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the department is working closely with the FBI, U.S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. Marshals and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office to identify suspects and bring them into custody. Dozens of leads are being pursued and a “large volume” of evidence is under active review.
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Early Wednesday: Gunfire Near Lake Street
About an hour after the mass shooting, police responded to gunfire near South 15th Avenue and E. Lake Street. No victims were found, but shell casings were recovered. Soon after, a man with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound was dropped off at Abbott Northwestern. Police called the timing and location “highly suspicious.”
Roughly 13 hours later and just blocks away, the violence continued.
Wednesday Afternoon: Man Killed on Cedar Avenue
Around 1 p.m. Wednesday, officers responded to another shooting near Cedar Avenue South and South 17th Avenue. A man in his 30s was found on the street with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene and authorities said one of the rounds fired struck an SUV and narrowly missed an infant and toddler who were strapped into child seats. The bullet passed just under their legs, highlighting the extreme risk to bystanders, police said.
Wednesday Afternoon: Gunfire on Harriet Avenue
Around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, initial reports of a shooting came in to dispatch, with callers saying someone was injured on the 3300 block of Harriet Avenue. Police arrived and found a 23-year-old male with a gunshot wound to the chest and three bullet wounds to his legs, per EMS dispatches. MPD confirms to us that as of Wednesday night, his injuries are not considered life-threatening.
Late Wednesday Afternoon: Northside Double Shooting
Responders were dispatched shortly before 4:45 p.m. Wednesday to a residence on the 2900 block of Girard Avenue North for a possible neighbor dispute. Initial reports indicated that two people had been shot. Medics said one of the victims is a 36-year-old male with a gunshot wound to his abdomen and the other is a 27-year-old female who had a bullet graze wound to her head. They were both transported to the hospital, but condition updates are not yet available. It’s still unclear if this incident is related to the south Minneapolis shootings.
Wednesday Evening: Man Dead in Shooting Near Lake Street
Just before 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Minneapolis police were called near South 15th Avenue and E. Lake Street, finding a victim that had been shot multiple times. Officers applied a chest seal and cleared medics into the scene, with a large crowd reportedly gathering in the area as investigation took place. According to EMS radio dispatches, paramedics transported the man—believed to be in his 40s—to the hospital and he was reportedly shot once in the chest and once in the back. He later died of his injuries, MPD confirms, and has not yet been identified.
Due to the Minneapolis Police Department’s radio encryption testing and full-radio encryption policy going into place Thursday, May 1, we have limited other details.
Near S. 15th Ave. & E. Lake St. on Wednesday night in Minneapolis. MN CRIME PHOTO
"We're three blocks away. The community is saying something's going on here," Chief O’Hara said. “We have to follow the evidence.”
Officials stopped short of publicly confirming that these shootings are all directly linked, but acknowledged that community members believe they may be related and possibly retaliatory.
The southside shooting incidents have drawn intense concern from Native American community leaders, as police believe all five victims are Native. The city brought in additional officers and is working in partnership with the Metropolitan Urban Indian Directors Association to support residents and help restore safety.
Mayor Jacob Frey and Chief O’Hara both spoke at a press conference Wednesday afternoon, expressing grief and outrage over the shootings.
“Our entire city is grieving right now, and we know that our Native community is feeling that trauma quite acutely,” Frey said. “I have directed our chief of police to utilize every single available resource to make sure the perpetrators of these crimes are held responsible.”
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O’Hara said the department has pulled resources from across the city and is receiving investigative and patrol support from federal and regional partners, including the Hennepin and Ramsey County sheriff’s offices. MPD officers are also meeting with residents and community leaders to address concerns and maintain visibility in affected areas.
The chief emphasized the need for public cooperation, stating that solving these cases depends heavily on community members stepping forward. “Even anonymous information is helpful,” he said. “With the public’s help, it’ll be faster.”
No arrests have been announced. Police have not confirmed any suspect descriptions, motives or specific gang ties, but said they are exploring all possibilities, including connections between the shootings.
“This is outrageous,” O’Hara said. “It’s absolutely senseless. And it just shows how completely reckless this is—that this is broad daylight out here, with a toddler and an infant in a car seat nearly getting hit by a bullet.”
Police are urging anyone with information to contact CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or submit a tip at www.CrimeStoppersMN.org.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner is expected to release more info on the victims, along with the cause and manner of death in the coming days.
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