On Saturday and Monday night, gunfire broke up crowds at the Minnesota State Fair, with two victims suffering non-life threatening injuries, according to officials.
Governor Tim Walz shared on Tuesday morning that both victims were in their late teens or early 20s. While Saturday's gunshot was fired within fairgrounds, Monday's shooting took place outside the gates.
"This is not a crime of poverty. This is not someone stealing baby formula or something. This is someone shooting a firearm in a crowded area," Walz said while saying it was "totally unacceptable."
Other officials spoke out about Saturday's shooting on Sunday, with State Fair General Manager Jerry Hammer noting that it was a shame to have it happen with things going so well so far.
"Completely outrageous conduct at a fair that has been, so far, running so very smoothly," Hammer said.
Minnesota State Public Safety Commissioner Jon Harrington said on Sunday they were working to find out how a gun got through metal detectors, which are at every entrance gate of the fairgrounds.
"There are probably, a quarter of a million people that went through the metal detectors yesterday, and there is a large fenced area, and a large area to cover. It is not unlikely, in my mind, that someone could have secreted a gun, either before or after the fair, during the overnight," Harrington said.
The victim shot on Monday has already been released from the hospital, according to Walz, who spoke with reporters while appearing at a school in Brooklyn Park for the first day of the 2022-23 school year.
When asked what he thinks could stop random acts of violence like was seen at the fair, Walz said the answer to stopping crime begins in schools.
Walz noted that he is continuing to provide state resources to help fight crime, as seen over the holiday weekend.
He said more officers and mental health resources are essential, but so is obeying the law.
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