Gunfire early Saturday in downtown Minneapolis left two people dead and three wounded, police said, in one of at least three shootings after midnight that injured people across the city.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said officers were responding to numerous fights near N. 5th Street and Hennepin Avenue when they heard gunshots just before 2 a.m. Saturday. Officers rushed to the scene and found five victims, who were given medical aid before being transported to area hospitals.
Two men died, ages 20 and 21, O’Hara said. Two girls, ages 16 and 17, and a 23-year-old woman sustained noncritical injuries.
A man was arrested on suspicion of riot in connection with the shooting, but authorities were investigating his role in the incident. The suspect is 25, according to the Hennepin County jail log. Police said they recovered a firearm and other evidence from the scene.
“Five families had their lives changed last night, and our hearts go out to them,” Assistant Chief Katie Blackwell said at a news conference Saturday. She said police will increase security in the area with help from the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office and 21 Days of Peace, a violence intervention group.
The Sheriff’s Office will be deploying extra uniformed and non-uniformed deputies in downtown Minneapolis on Saturday night, said spokeswoman Megan Larson.
”Our office will be watching closely throughout the weekend to determine if more deputies and detectives are needed for the foreseeable future” Larson said. “We are in constant contact and collaboration with MPD and we’ll be working out a strategic plan to combat the violence that has been a pattern over the summer, and in particular last night.”
“MPD investigators will work tirelessly to bring whoever is responsible for this tragic incident to justice,” O’Hara said. “We will continue with our late-night safety plan, and work with our law enforcement and community-based partners to enhance the level of safety for all.”
