Shooting at Minneapolis Park Leaves 11-Year-Old Boy Dead

Jun 24

An 11-year-old boy died Monday afternoon after being shot near Folwell Park in north Minneapolis, according to police.

Officers were dispatched just after 2 p.m. to the area of Dowling Avenue North and Knox Avenue North following a report of gunfire.

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Police say initial information suggests shots were fired inside the park while a vehicle was seen driving through the area. At least two other vehicles were spotted moving through the adjacent parking lot around the same time.

A nearby resident later told police he was sitting on his porch when he heard someone yelling for help. The man said he found the boy along with two other males outside his home. He placed the child and one of the other people into his car and began driving toward the hospital. While driving towards the hospital, he flagged down an officer near Penn Avenue North and Dowling Avenue North. The officer removed the boy from the vehicle and began CPR until other emergency responders arrived. Despite efforts by police, firefighters and EMS personnel, the boy was pronounced dead at the scene.

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Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara confirmed the child’s death later in the day during a media briefing and called the shooting devastating.

“I cannot emphasize enough how terrible it is to have an 11-year-old boy shot and killed in the middle of the day,” O’Hara said. “We need anyone with information to come forward so we can bring some sense of justice to this child’s family. We are following every lead, but we need the public’s help to solve this.”

No arrests have been announced. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner will release the boy’s name and official cause of death.

Anyone with information is asked to email policetips@minneapolismn.gov or leave a voicemail at 612-673-5845. Anonymous tips can be submitted to CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at www.CrimeStoppersMN.org. Information that leads to an arrest and conviction may be eligible for a financial reward.

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