Additional Coverage:
Two Shootings in South Minneapolis Leave Four Critically Injured
Minneapolis – Four people are in critical condition following two separate shootings in South Minneapolis on September 15. The incidents, which occurred within a 12-hour timeframe and just over two miles apart, have prompted a strong response from city officials and renewed debate about the safety of homeless encampments.
The first shooting took place around 11 a.m., while the second occurred shortly after 10 p.m. Police Chief Brian O’Hara stated that while a connection between the two incidents cannot be ruled out, investigators believe the first shooting stemmed from a personal dispute that escalated, while the second appears to be related to narcotics activity.
Both shootings took place in areas frequented by individuals experiencing homelessness. Chief O’Hara acknowledged that while the location of the first shooting is not an official encampment, it attracts a significant number of homeless individuals daily. The second shooting occurred at an encampment in a vacant parking lot, a site the city has previously attempted to close.
In response to the violence, Mayor Jacob Frey announced that the encampment has been secured as a crime scene and that the city is pursuing a court order to shut it down. He also confirmed that additional law enforcement resources have been deployed to South Minneapolis.
“This level of violence is unacceptable,” Mayor Frey stated. “The community of South Minneapolis deserves better.”
The parking lot where the second shooting occurred has been the subject of an ongoing legal battle between the city and the property owner, Hamoudi Sabri. Sabri has criticized the city’s approach to encampments, arguing that clearing them merely displaces the problem rather than addressing the root causes.
The city council recently approved a civil lawsuit against Sabri over the encampment and has issued substantial health citations. Mayor Frey remains firm in his stance that encampments are unsafe.
These shootings come just weeks after a tragic incident at Annunciation Church, where two children were killed and several others injured in a shooting during a school year service.