A man is dead and six others are wounded after a shooter sprayed dozens of rounds Tuesday afternoon in what Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara described as a “deeply troubling act of violence.”
“First thing I see is a whole crowd of people just standing,” says a man who shared a video of the shooting with 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS. “Then next thing you know, I hear at least fifteen gunshots.”
Police say the shooting happened just before 1:30 p.m. near the intersection of 29th Street East and Clinton Avenue, directly behind Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in the city’s Phillips neighborhood.
“I look down the street and I see somebody standing outside their car, with a big gun just shooting at the crowd,” the witness said. In the video, the sounds of gunfire can clearly be heard, with people fleeing the scene.
Near the intersection, law enforcement found a man dead from apparent gunshot wounds and another man with potentially life-threatening gunshot wounds.
About one or two blocks away from the shooting, on Lake Street, four injured men and one injured woman were found at various locations. Those five people were brought to the hospital and are expected to survive, according to Minneapolis police.
Through a translator, one woman described the violence.
“Blood shower here,” she explained. “One person running here that was shot, and the other person running that way.”
Initial reports indicate a suspect stepped out of a vehicle and fired about 30 rounds from a “high-velocity” .223 caliber rifle at a group of people on a sidewalk along Clinton Avenue before getting into a car and fleeing the scene.
Of the seven people who were shot, at least one person was “clearly targeted,” O’Hara said.
O’Hara shared how powerful the firepower was and its impact.
“From the Shotspotter notification, we do not believe this to have been fully automatic, but this was a high velocity .223 rifle, and it’s obvious from the injuries that people suffered here, the significant damage those types of rounds can do to the human body,” O’Hara said.
The mother of one of the surviving victims told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS outside Hennepin County Medical Center that it’ll be a long road ahead for her son, as just a few hours after the shooting, he was in face surgery.
“It’s deeply disturbing,” O’Hara said. “Obviously, it’s the middle of the day, we’re standing right next to a high school, and this type of weapon — it’s more for a weapon of war than something to be on the street here.”
“The level of firepower unleashed in broad daylight on a city street is sickening and completely unacceptable,” O’Hara added. “Our thoughts are for the victim who lost his life, with those who are now fighting to recover from their injuries, and with the families and community members who are forever impacted by this violence. As your police department, we remain steadfast in our mission to reduce serious crime while rebuilding trust with the people we serve. We will continue to fight every single day to make every block in this city safe for every resident and every family. But we cannot do this work alone. We need our community’s help, and we are urging anyone with information about this shooting to please come forward—anonymously if necessary—so that together, we can hold those responsible accountable and prevent further harm.”
As of late Tuesday afternoon, no arrests had been made.
Dash camera footage obtained by 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS appears to capture the shooting. It shows a red Kia Sportage approaching the intersection when at least 25 gunshots send people scurrying for cover.
Some of those bullets shattered car windows on the opposite end of the block.
As police blocked off a section of Clinton Avenue, Daisy Sanisata was picking up her 15-year-old brother from the Cristo Rey School.
“It’s just like frightening, like how is there a shooting happening?” she asked. “Like he just found out when school had ended because he overheard people talking about it. For me, it was worrying because my mom didn’t know.”
Police have not released any description of the suspect or the vehicle he was in, but they say they’re pursuing strong leads.
Meanwhile, parents like Trumaine White say they’re concerned about the safety of their children.
“You see something like this, you’re worried ‘cos you never want your kids to be down there, don’t want no one, but it hits home when you see something like that,” he says. “For a shooting to happen like that, it’s really devastating this early in the day, like this ain’t normal right here.”
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