Downtown Minneapolis shooting; Early Wednesday morning, Minneapolis police responded to another deadly shooting, marking the third fatal gun-related incident in the city within just 13 hours. The latest violence unfolded downtown when a suspect opened fire at close range into a group of people, killing one man and injuring another.
Authorities said the shooting occurred around 2:08 a.m. near North 8th Street and Hennepin Avenue, a busy area surrounded by popular restaurants and entertainment venues such as The Capitol Grill, the Orpheum Theater, The Saloon, and Crave. Officers arriving on the scene found a man dead from multiple gunshot wounds. Investigators believe the victim was standing with others on the sidewalk when the suspect approached, fired, and then fled on foot.
Minutes later, around 2:20 a.m., another man with gunshot injuries from the same incident was dropped off at Hennepin Healthcare. His wounds were described as non-life-threatening. By early morning, police had secured the area, and family members of the deceased gathered at the scene, mourning the sudden loss.
The motive behind the shooting remains unclear, and investigators are working to determine whether it is connected to two other fatal shootings that rocked the city on Tuesday.
On Tuesday evening, around 8 p.m., police were called to 27th Street and 3rd Avenue South, where they discovered a man in his 20s suffering from gunshot wounds. He was taken to the hospital but later died. Another man, also believed to have been wounded in the same incident, arrived separately at Abbott Northwestern Hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening.
That shooting happened only about a mile from an earlier mass shooting Tuesday afternoon on Clinton Avenue. Around 1:30 p.m., a ShotSpotter system alerted officers to as many as 30 rounds being fired in the area. Responding officers found a chaotic scene where one man had been killed and six others wounded. Among the victims were four men and one woman, with at least three listed in critical condition. Police later revealed the shooter had used a high-velocity .223 rifle, adding to the destructive force of the attack.
In total, across these three separate incidents, eight people were struck by gunfire within the city, and three have died. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara expressed deep concern about the alarming surge in violence, calling it “deeply unsettling.”
In a statement early Wednesday, O’Hara offered condolences to the families of the victims while emphasizing law enforcement’s determination to identify and apprehend those responsible. He urged community members to provide information, stressing that tips can be given anonymously. “While this level of violence is cause for concern, our resolve to fight for the safety of every person in our community is unwavering,” O’Hara stated.
As investigations continue, police are focusing on whether the shootings are linked, but for now, no suspects have been publicly identified in the downtown attack. Community leaders and residents are left shaken by the sudden burst of gun violence that has cast a heavy shadow over Minneapolis in just one day.
