Robbers hit two backyard gatherings in Minneapolis

Gunmen shot one man in south Minneapolis during armed robberies at two gatherings.

By TOM MEERSMAN, Star Tribune

Last update: September 6, 2009 - 11:26 PM

It started as a fun evening on a pleasant Labor Day weekend in south Minneapolis. Eight people in their 20s had gotten together on a warm, starry night to grill out, listen to music, have a few drinks and play a beanbag game.

But a few hours later, about 1:45 a.m. Saturday, as they sat in a driveway in the 5300 block of Chicago Avenue S., the group was suddenly accosted by a pair of young men wearing hooded sweatshirts and bandanas over their faces.

Amy Diehl, one of the victims, said the men came up the alley and around a hedge. One had a gun. "He said, 'Give us everything you have, keep your head down or I'll shoot you,' and then a lot of other choice words," Diehl said Sunday.

At 2:45 a.m. Sunday, the same thing happened in a back yard in the 5200 block of 10th Avenue S., just a few blocks from the first incident.

But this time there was a confrontation, and a man attending the gathering was shot in the abdomen before the suspects fled on foot, Minneapolis police Sgt. William Palmer said.

The unidentified shooting victim was taken to the Hennepin County Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition Sunday, said Palmer.

Police warned residents of south Minneapolis' Page and Hale neighborhoods about the robberies and asked them to be on the lookout for the suspects, who are believed to be 14 to 20 years old.

"We want people to try to enjoy their holiday, but we also want them to be aware of their surroundings and we want to make sure that people stay safe," Palmer said.

Peace of the night shattered

Just before the first robbery, the driveway had been well-lit, with a stereo playing quietly in the garage, said those at the scene.

Diehl said her first reaction to the robbers' demand for money was disbelief. "I was thinking, like, 'Are you serious? We're just kids hanging out. What would we have to give you?' "

The robbers took five wallets, two cell phones and a pack of cigarettes.

"It seems like a lot of work for nothing," said Diehl, since the robbers got less than $100 in cash and a few "now-useless credit cards."

Casey Kespohl, who lives across the alley and down one house from the scene of the first robbery, was not aware of the incident until informed by a reporter. He said he felt bad for the victims, especially one couple that just moved into the neighborhood. "For them to be taken advantage of, that's hard to hear," he said. "It's a shame."

Kespohl said he had relatives visiting over the weekend, and had also spent time the previous evening with them in his back yard.

"It's alarming," he said. "It's really a challenge when you like where you live and you like your neighbors, to hear that those sorts of things are happening. You feel a bit violated."

A plea to the perpetrators

Diehl said she wanted to give the perpetrators a personal message:

"It's a serious, serious thing, and obviously it can escalate to someone in the hospital or someone dead," she said. "If you're 17, do you really want to be in prison for the rest of your life for some stupid, stupid thing, for 40 bucks maybe?"

Authorities asked anyone with information to call police during business hours at 612-673-2921 or after hours at 612-919-9362. They also asked the public to report any suspicious behavior immediately by calling 911.

Tom Meersman • 612-673-7388