By MPR New Staff
Three people died and two others were seriously injured in a shooting late April 29 in south Minneapolis. Just over 12 hours later, a man was fatally shot several blocks away, and authorities believe the two shootings may be connected.
“It’s been a horrible and tragic day,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said at a news conference April 30 near the scene of the second shooting, in which a man in his 30s was killed near Cedar and Hiawatha avenues.
Frey said community members had told authorities it may have been in retaliation for the shooting earlier near the corner of 25th Street and Bloomington Avenue, in which a 17-year-old boy, 20-year-old woman and 27-year-old man died, and two other people were injured. Minneapolis police said the early investigation indicated the first shooting was targeted, and not random.
Authorities have not released the victims’ names, but both Frey and Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara offered condolences and assurances to the city’s Native American community in their remarks. O’Hara said that based on information he had at that time, he believed all the victims of the shootings were Native.
Red Lake Nation said they’ve been in contact with city officials, who have assured them that Minneapolis police will have a heavy presence around the apartment building for the foreseeable future. The Native American Community Clinic will have counselors available at the Red Lake Nation Embassy and the Mino Bimaadiziwin Wellness Clinic, the tribe said in a press release posted on Facebook.
“The message to our Native community is that we stand with them. We’re going to do everything possible to bring these perpetrators to justice,” Frey said. “Our city, our police, our entire enterprise will not rest until we get the job done, and we’re going to do it hand-in-hand with them.”
O’Hara noted that a bullet fired during the April 30 shooting went through the back door of an SUV, narrowly missing an infant and toddler seated inside. He called the gunfire “outrageous. It’s absolutely senseless.”
“We’re going to continue engaging with the community and do everything we can to help increase their sense of safety,” O’Hara said. “… Let the Native American community know, we are on it. All of law enforcement is on it.”
Gunfire late April 29
The first shooting happened late Tuesday, April 29, just before midnight, in the city’s Phillips neighborhood, near the corner of 25th and Bloomington Avenue. O’Hara said officers responded to a report of shots fired just before midnight. Three people died at the scene. Two others — a 20-year-old woman and 28-year-old man — were taken to a hospital with potentially life-threatening injuries. Police said four of the victims were found in a car, and one man was on the sidewalk.
Authorities have not released other information on the circumstances of that shooting. No arrests have been made.
The April 30 shooting was reported just after 1 p.m. on the 2100 block of Cedar Avenue. Officers from several agencies responded and found an injured man; he died at the scene.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara was asked at the news conference whether the two shootings are related. He noted they happened just blocks apart.
“The community has been telling us, they believe something is going on here. Obviously, we’re going to allow the evidence to take us where it is — but of course, we believe that’s a strong possibility,” he said.
O’Hara said he’s confident that investigators are making progress in finding those responsible for the shootings but called on the people to share any information they might have.
Community events canceled
Community-led organizations were planning events to kick off American Indian Month in Minnesota May 1, but those events were canceled.
Spiritual leaders held a prayer event on May 1 at Cedar Field, a small park near the intersection of Cedar Avenue and 26th Street in the Phillips neighborhood.
“It’s very hard on the community,” said Robert Lilligren, president and CEO of the Native America Community Development Institute. “It’s not that large of a community, so to lose this many people in 24 hours, or less than 24 hours, and it’s especially disheartening when it’s on the eve of such an important and festive celebration, which is American Indian Month.”
There was supposed to be a parade, a celebration of a new building at the Indian Health Board and a powwow at the Minneapolis American Indian Center, Lilligren said. Those events have been canceled due to the shooting.
