A 19-year-old Brooklyn Center man was ordered held on $150,000 bail for his role in an overnight shootout in downtown Minneapolis' Warehouse District on Monday that left six people wounded, leading authorities to announce a series of anti-crime measures.
The teenager, Qumari Kenneth Spencer, was arrested shortly after gunfire broke out in the area of S. 4th Street and Hennepin Avenue, near the Central library branch, authorities said. Spencer was charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, based on a 2014 conviction for burglary, according to authorities.
He was held in the county jail in lieu of $150,000 bail and is scheduled to make his initial court appearance on Wednesday afternoon.
The shootout started at 1:13 a.m. Monday, when a large group of High End gang members were confronted by a rival crew near an intersection between the Gay '90s bar and the library, according to court filings. Six people were injured — all males ranging in age from 16 to 25 — as gunfire rang out from both sides, and passersby ducked for cover and nearby officers converged on the area.
Local merchants and residents complained that the area, near the First Precinct police station, has been plagued by gang-related crime in recent months.
Authorities said that Spencer was stopped by an officer as he tried to flee through the nightclub's parking lot. According to the complaint, officers found a loaded handgun in the teen's pants, which matched the caliber of spent shell casings from the scene.
The complaint said that additional "firearms evidence examination and comparison are pending."
No other arrests have been announced.
