Violence rocks Minneapolis Aquatennial weekend including 3 homicides; MPD asks for help
By Crime Watch MN, July 28, 2024
The Minneapolis Police Department issued a press release Sunday night recapping a violent Aquatennial weekend that included ten violent incidents, of which three were homicides — two shootings and one stabbing — and said they’re asking for help from other law enforcement agencies to quell the violence.
Statement from Police Chief Brian O’Hara:
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said today MPD is investigating multiple murders after a stretch of violent days that resulted in two men being fatally shot, one man killed in a stabbing and seven men injured by gunfire. O’Hara also said Sunday he asked for and received both investigative and patrol assistance from the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) to help with the 10 violent incidents that have occurred since Thursday and to increase police presence in some of the current trouble spots in the city. O’Hara added that MPD will deploy additional patrols to these areas, too.
“I’m deeply grateful to our law enforcement and community partners who have stepped up on a moment’s notice to help us try to track down those responsible for these heinous acts and to help us put an end to the violence,” said O’Hara, who added investigators do not believe any of the incidents are related. O’Hara said MPD has also connected with several community groups and violence interrupters who will be working the streets tonight.
In response to the violence overnight, O’Hara called an emergency MPD command staff meeting, invited outside law enforcement partners and immediately implement a multi-jurisdictional plan. During the meeting, MPD shared information on these incidents with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. All are poised to help immediately as needed.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner will release the names of the three individuals who were killed along with the cause and manner of each death.
Anyone with information about any of the incidents is encouraged to call CrimeStoppers at 1–800–222-TIPS (8477). Tips may be submitted electronically at www.CrimeStoppersMN.org. All Tips are anonymous and persons providing information leading to an arrest and conviction may be eligible for a financial reward.
Below is information on each of the incidents provided by MPD, dating back to Thursday, July 25th. The incidents include links to social media posts from Crime Watch Minneapolis from the time of the incidents, where available.
July 25, 2024, at approximately 1:30 a.m. — Shooting — Officers from the 3rd Precinct responded to a shooting at 24th St E and Bloomington Ave S and identified an adult man with an apparent non-life-threatening gunshot wound. Preliminary information indicates that the male was shot while sitting inside his car. Evidence of gunfire was located and processed. Case 24–205940. Crime Watch later posted what was reported to be an audio clip of automatic burst gunfire from the time of the shooting.
July 25, 2024, at approximately 1:30 a.m. — Shooting — Officers from the 3rd Precinct responded a shooting involving an individual who was riding a motorcycle. Officers located one adult male with an apparent life-threatening gunshot wound. Officers provided medical aid until EMS arrived. The male was transported to Hennepin Healthcare Hospital. Preliminary information indicates that shots were fired from a vehicle. Case 24–206430. (This incident didn’t include a location from MPD, but a motorcyclist was shot on July 25 at about 2:30 p.m. near 31st and Clinton Ave. S, according to police scanner audio. It’s unclear if this is in reference to the same incident.)
July 25, 2024, at approximately midnight. — Shooting — Officers from the 4th Precinct responded to a shooting on the 3200 block of Penn Av N. Officers identified an adult man with an apparent non-life-threatening gunshot wound. Preliminary information indicates that the man was walking outside when shots were fired. Officers checked the ShotSpotter but could not find a scene. The injured male was transported to the hospital. Case 24–207038.
July 26, 2024, at approximately 1:57 a.m. — Shooting — Officers from the 1st Precinct responded to the 200 block of Oak Grove Street on a shooting. Officers located an adult man with apparent life-threatening gunshot wounds. Officers provided medical aid until EMS arrived. The male was transported to Hennepin Healthcare Hospital. Preliminary information indicates that the man was inside a vehicle when an individual removed him from the vehicle and took it. While the vehicle was being taken, shots were fired, and he was struck. His vehicle was later located by St. Paul PD. St. Paul arrested one adult male who was in the vehicle. Case 24–207036.
On July 27, 2024, at approximately 7:13 p.m. — Shooting Homicide — Officers from the 5th Precinct responded to a shooting on the 2600 Block of 3 AV S and identified a 20-year-old man with life-threatening gunshot wounds. Officers provided immediate medical aid including CPR. The injured male was transported to Hennepin Healthcare where he later died. Preliminary information indicates that the injured male was outside when shots were fired. Case 24–209076.
July 27, 2024, at approximately 7:23 p.m. — Shooting — Officers from the 3rd Precinct responded to a shooting and identified an adult man on the 2600 Block of Cedar Ave S. He had potentially life-threatening gunshot wounds. Officers provided immediate medical aid until the injured male was transported to Hennepin Healthcare. Preliminary information indicates that the man was walking on the 2500 block of Cedar Av S after meeting with a group when shots were fired. The injured male ran to the 2600 block of Cedar Av S where he collapsed. Case 24–209086.
July 27, 2024, at approximately 9:08 p.m. — Shooting — Officers from the 4th Precinct responded to the report of a shooting and identified an adult man with apparent non-life-threatening gunshot wounds. He was transported to North Memorial Health. Preliminary information indicates that an altercation between the injured man and someone he knew escalated to gunfire. The shooter left the scene before officers arrived. Case 24–209188. (MPD didn’t indicate a location for this shooting, but police scanner audio indicated a shooting took place at 37th and Fremont Ave N at that time.)
July 28, 2024, at approximately 12:37 a.m. — Shooting — Officers from the 4th Precinct responded to a ShotSpotter activation near W Broadway Av and Penn Av N and located evidence of gunfire. A short time later, a stolen vehicle with damage from apparent gunfire crashed near 16th Ave N and Penn Ave N. The vehicle was unoccupied when officers arrived. An 18-year-old male with apparent non-life-threatening gunshot wounds was dropped off at North Memorial Health.
July 28, at approximately 1:13 a.m. — Shooting Homicide — Officers from the 4th Precinct responded to a ShotSpotter activation near the 3200 Block of Penn Ave N. Officers located a 45-year-old man with life-threatening gunshot wounds lying on the sidewalk near Lowry Ave N and Penn Av N. He was receiving medical aid from Minneapolis Firefighters. The injured male was transported to North Memorial Health where he later died. Case 24–209467. Crime Watch later posted an audio clip purported to be the sound of gunfire from the shooting homicide.
July 28, at approximately 3:15 a.m. — Stabbing Homicide — Officers from the 4th Precinct responded to a stabbing that occurred inside a residence on the 3400 block of Penn Av N. A 31-year-old man was stabbed multiple times. Officers rendered immediate medical aid until the man was transported to North Memorial Healthcare. Despite all life-saving efforts, the man died at the hospital. 911 callers said they heard screaming during a party at the residence. Preliminary information indicates that an altercation inside the residence escalated to a stabbing.
Additionally, Crime Watch posted shooting incidents from over the weekend that do not appear to be on the MPD press release list:
Shooting July 26, 02:10 a.m., at 34th and Penn Ave N, where one was reported to be shot in the head.
Shooting July 27, 00:20 a.m., at 48th and Camden Ave N, where a person who was shot showed up at the hospital, and police found the scene at the location above.
Just after midnight Sunday morning, a Shotspotter activation indicating 30 rounds fired was aired by dispatch to police on the 2400 block of Penn Avenue North. An audio clip later posted Crime Watch appeared to indicate a sustained burst of automatic gunfire.
The City of Minneapolis has tallied at least 42 homicides so far in 2024, which is about a 25% increase over the same period last year when the city had recorded 34 homicides during the same period. The homicide total this year is over double what it was at this point in 2019, when Minneapolis had 20 homicides during the same period. Crime exploded in 2020 in Minneapolis and across the Twin Cities during and after the George Floyd riots and has yet to recede in most categories to pre-riot levels.
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