Several injured near U of M, Dinkytown in weekend fireworks attacks
By Crime Watch MN, Nov. 1, 2022
One woman received second-degree burns in a firework assault near the University of Minnesota campus late Saturday night/early Sunday.
The attack was just one of several firework assaults and attacks Crime Watch reported spanning Friday and Saturday nights on frat row and in Dinkytown near the U of M campus in Minneapolis, as aired over Minneapolis and U of M police dispatch.
The victim pictured above messaged Crime Watch with this photo and said she received second-degree burns in the attack. Additionally, she stated, “I was struck by the fireworks Saturday night and there is absolutely no information about this and the police or investigators haven’t contacted me since that night.”
Crime Watch posted about 10 times over Friday and Saturday about fireworks attacks and assaults in the U of M and Dinkytown areas.
We reported about several people who called 911 to report injuries from fireworks. In one case we posted on the 1200 block of 7th Street Southeast, police confirmed that one victim had a concussion from an assault. The group had been reported at the address trying to kick in a door and were throwing fireworks. The dispatcher aired that someone had been injured (see tweets above).
A surveillance video was posted online Monday which showed a large group at one of the frat houses over the weekend. The video appears to show several people trying to gain entry. One person in the center of the frame is holding what appears to be a large machete. One person can be seen lighting and throwing fireworks at the building before the group flees the area on foot.
There were several references in the dispatches and from people who messaged us directly that the suspects were described as Somali males. That was confirmed in at least one dispatch when an officer aired the suspects they had dealt with was a group of Somali males wearing “Scream” masks.
The University of Minnesota Public Safety Department put out a very brief safety alert about two of the assaults. They offered no useful descriptions of the perpetrators despite the fact that descriptions were aired repeatedly over dispatch.
There was at least one report Monday night of a firecracker thrown at someone from a vehicle in the area of 15th Avenue Southeast and 5th Street Southeast.
University authorities have yet to make a public statement about the numerous incidents beyond the brief and unhelpful safety alert issued.
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