Teenage boy killed in north Minneapolis shooting

A 17-year-old boy died after being shot in north Minneapolis on Sunday morning, officials say, marking the city's 80th homicide of 2020.

Officers were near the 3200 block of N. Aldrich Avenue when they heard gunshots around 2:25 a.m. A short time later, 911 callers also reported shots fired in the area.

The teen was taken to North Memorial Health Hospital in grave condition and later died at the hospital, police said in a statement Sunday afternoon.

The victim had been engaged in a confrontation that escalated to the shooting, police said, adding that those responsible fled the scene before officers arrived.

The Minneapolis police crime lab and homicide detectives are investigating.

The identity of the victim will be released by the Medical Examiner's Office in the coming days.

Sunday's shooting marks the 80th homicide this year.

Minneapolis' highest annual homicide tally was 97 recorded in 1995. The following year marked the second-highest of 83.

At a Nov. 30 news conference, Chief Medaria Arradondo said shootings, carjackings and robberies are occurring across the city.

He pleaded, along with Mayor Jacob Frey, for the City Council to refrain from reducing department numbers when at least 120 officers are already on some form of leave.

Arradondo said there have been more than 500 shootings this year, which is the highest tally in at least 15 years.