An argument turned deadly Friday night in the Midtown Phillips neighborhood of Minneapolis, and police are investigating whether the death and a fire at the same house hours later were connected.
Police spokesman Sgt. Garrett Parten said that when officers responded to a reported shooting in the 2700 block of 15th Avenue S, they found a man dead from a gunshot wound inside the home.
Early reports indicate that an argument between the shooting victim and "a male known to him" escalated into gunfire.
A homicide investigation has begun, but as of Sunday no arrests had been made.
Then early Saturday morning, firefighters responded to a fire at the house, and officials tweeted at 6:40 a.m. that the blaze extended from the first floor through the roof. All residents were reported to be out of the home, and firefighters extinguished most of the flames within an hour.
Authorities said they didn't know whether the shooting and fire were linked, but Parten said investigators were considering that possibility.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner has not yet released the victim's name. His death is the city's 72nd homicide of the year.
Anyone with information on the shooting or fire can call CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). The GO number is 22-257792. Tips can be submitted online at CrimeStoppersMN.org. All tips are anonymous, and anyone who gives information leading to an arrest and conviction could be eligible for a reward.
