Woman shot to death inside downtown Minneapolis strip club

October 18, 2014 at 11:26PM
Police respond to the scene of a fatal shooting on Oct. 18, 2014, at Augie's in downtown Minneapolis.
Police respond to the scene of a fatal shooting on Oct. 18, 2014, at Augie's in downtown Minneapolis. (Colleen Kelly/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Minneapolis police say a suspect turned herself in about 9 a.m. Saturday after a fatal overnight shooting in a downtown Minneapolis strip club.

Officers were called about 1:10 a.m. to Augies Cabaret, at 424 Hennepin Av. S., in the heart of downtown, on a report of a shooting. A woman, later identified by friends and family as LaKisha Neal, of north Minneapolis, was found fatally wounded inside, police said.

"This does not appear to be a random incident," a statement from police said, adding that numerous witnesses were interviewed and evidence had been collected. The suspect remains in custody.

Angela Avent, a childhood friend of Neal's, decided to coordinate a rally in front of the club when she heard the news.

"I told her mom I was going to take a stand and make sure her death isn't in vain," said Avent, who was asking family and friends to gather at 7 p.m. on Saturday for a vigil in front of Augies.

Neal was the mother of a teenage daughter and worked as a personal care assistant for the disabled and elderly, Avent said.

Augies owner Brian Michael couldn't immediately be reached for comment, but an employee said a sign was hung on the door telling customers the club would remain closed Saturday night.

Augies has a metal detector, along with high-definition security cameras, according to a Star Tribune story earlier this year, written after a shooting at 400 Soundbar in August.

In March 2013, a patron was shot in the leg at Augies as he left the restroom.

In another downtown incident Friday night, a Minneapolis woman was struck by a motor vehicle intentionally, witnesses say. The 26-year-old woman remains in a coma.

Liz Sawyer • 952-746-3282

In this file photo, Augie's strip club and bar is pictured in 2012.
In this file photo, Augie's strip club and bar is pictured in 2012. (Colleen Kelly — Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
LaKisha Neal
LaKisha Neal (Colleen Kelly/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
about the writer

about the writer

Liz Sawyer

Reporter

Liz Sawyer  covers Minneapolis crime and policing at the Star Tribune. Since joining the newspaper in 2014, she has reported extensively on Minnesota law enforcement, state prisons and the youth justice system. 

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