Gunfire Investigation Ends With Drug Arrest in Minneapolis
BY MN CRIME STAFF
Gunfire detected in Minneapolis led police to a man now charged with firing a gun in public while carrying a large amount of narcotics.
The incident unfolded Feb. 18 in the area of Lowry Avenue North and Girard Avenue North after a ShotSpotter system detected three separate gunshot activations within about 15 minutes.
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Prosecutors charged Jareese Marcell Johnson, 30, of Brooklyn Center, with first-degree drug sale, second-degree drug possession, illegal possession of a firearm, intentional discharge of a firearm endangering safety and reckless discharge of a firearm within a municipality.
According to the criminal complaint, officers responded around 6:20 p.m. after the first ShotSpotter alert near Lowry Avenue North and Girard Avenue North. Investigators reviewed live city camera footage and identified a man walking along Lowry carrying a large rectangular backpack before ducking behind a dumpster moments before the first shots were detected.
Minutes later, cameras captured the man crossing Lowry Avenue North and raising his arm into the air in a manner consistent with firing a handgun. A second ShotSpotter activation followed as he continued south on Girard Avenue North.
A third alert came shortly before 6:35 p.m. on the 3100 block of Dupont Avenue North. Officers again observed the same suspect on camera walking away from the area alongside another man. Police moved in as the suspect approached a nearby intersection where cameras showed him crouching near an electrical box. Officers located and arrested Johnson at the scene.
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During a search, investigators recovered a bag containing hundreds of pastel-colored tablets weighing about 110 grams that field-tested positive for Ecstasy. A second bag found on Johnson contained nearly 10 grams of a white powder that tested positive for cocaine and fentanyl. Investigators wrote the quantity was far greater than typical personal-use amounts and consistent with distribution.
A six-shot revolver was found in the snow near the electrical box where Johnson had crouched. Police reported the firearm contained three spent casings and one live round.
Authorities say Johnson is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a prior fifth-degree drug possession conviction from 2019. Court records also show prior gun-related offenses, including a recent guilty plea in January 2026 for illegal possession of a firearm with sentencing still pending, along with an earlier felony conviction for carrying a pistol without a permit.
Johnson made an initial court appearance on Friday and remains in custody in lieu of $150,000 bail.
If convicted, Johnson faces up to 40 years in prison on the first-degree drug sale charge, up to 25 years for second-degree drug possession while armed and up to 15 years for illegal possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Each firearm discharge charge carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison.
