High-tech tool alerts police to man with critical gunshot wound to head on Minneapolis street

A man was found on a residential Minneapolis street shot in the head shortly before midnight and is fighting for his life in the hospital, authorities said Thursday.

ShotSpotter detection technology brought police officers to the 2800 block of Humboldt Avenue N. about 11:50 p.m. Wednesday. They arrived and found a 22-year-old man had been shot. The man's identity has yet to be disclosed, and no arrests have been made.

Police Sgt. Catherine Michal said ShotSpotter notified nearby officers on their cellphone, allowing them to arrive on the scene within two minutes, and that swift response has "definitely helped" as doctors at North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale try to keep the critically wounded man alive.

The placement of ShotSpotter audio detection devices around the city debuted 10 years ago. They often alert police to gunfire more quickly than receiving calls from the public, allowing for a faster law enforcement response.

Arriving sooner to a crime scene can save lives and improve the chances of a successful police investigation. False alarms about gunfire can also be reduced.

On Monday, 17-year-old Austin Young was found less than a half-mile to the southwest in a vehicle that had crashed into several parked cars in the area of 26th and Knox avenues N. about 10:37 p.m., in what was initially thought to be strictly a traffic incident. An autopsy, released Thursday, concluded that Young died after a bullet passed through his neck and head. It was the city's 14th homicide of the year.

While no arrests have been announced in this shooting, "we have made good initial progress on this investigation as we continue to speak with witnesses," Michal said.

In one eight-day stretch this month, four people were fatally shot across the city. None of the shootings is believed to be gang-related, police said.

The recent spate of violence has been something of an anomaly. While nearly every crime category is up this year, compared to the first half of 2016, the number of people shot has declined citywide. Shootings have declined nearly 40 percent on the city's North Side, home to some of the city's hardest-hit neighborhoods in terms of violence.

Authorities asked people with information about any of the shootings to text 847411 (TIP411) or call 612-692-8477.

Star Tribune staff writer Libor Jany contributed to this report.