A neighborhood in Minneapolis experienced a night of terror as police responded to an active shooter situation that unfolded in the early hours of the weekend. According to a bulletin by the City of Minneapolis, the Minneapolis Police, supported by the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office and other law enforcement agencies, were on the scene at the 4000 block of Minnehaha Av. after reports of gunfire.
The situation began to rapidly escalate around 10:50 P.M. on Friday when 911 calls came in about a man seen carrying a shotgun. Attempts by officers to find the suspect that night were unsuccessful. It was not until 4:30 A.M. Saturday multiple 911 calls were again reported to have heard shots, this time coming from inside an apartment building. The officers discovered damage from bullets and cases strewn on the floor, indicative of the violence that had occurred.
As law enforcement personnel arrived at the location, they observed bullet holes punctuating the front entrance and shell casings littering the ground. A shotgun lay abandoned inside an open apartment, while the sound of more gunfire echoed from another area of the building. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, in a detailed account of the incident, relayed that officers bravely worked to evacuate the building's residents during the ongoing threat. They managed to confine the shooter to a stairwell while coordinating with SWAT and negotiating teams, even as shots continued to sporadically ring out.
It was approximately 5:33 a.m. when an officer shot the assailant to quickly neutralize the situation. Armed with an AK-47 style rifle and a .45-caliber handgun, the 40-year-old man—now identified as a resident of the building—was taken into custody after receiving immediate medical aid. The emergency services transported him to Hennepin Healthcare Hospital, where his condition was labeled stable. "This was an incredibly unpredictable, terrifying and rapidly evolving situation,” Chief O’Hara said in an official statement. “I can't say how thankful I am for the men and women of the Minneapolis Police and other officers that responded here. I know it must have taken incredible courage and valor to do exactly what they're trained to do. Thank God, no one else was hurt."
Interestingly, no bystanders or police personnel sustained injuries during the ordeal. Post-incident, the Minneapolis Police Bomb Squad was called in to clear a backpack found with the shooter, which contained additional ammunition and loaded magazines. The suspect was also wearing a military-style flak vest, albeit non-ballistic. For those displaced by the incident, an MTC bus was requested to the scene to provide temporary shelter for the evacuated residents. Further investigations involving the BCA have been set in motion, with the agency tasked with providing additional public information as the situation develops.
