A mass shooting downtown Minneapolis left three dead and several injured. The shooter, who is dead, has been identified as 35-year-old Carlton Johnson II.
The day after has left many questioning why there was no extreme risk protection order against Johnson, which would have temporarily barred him from having a gun in the first place. There are a number of documented incidents that took place in the apartment building.
Johnson obtained a permit to carry a firearm from Hennepin County in June of this year despite his known criminal history, documented reports of threatening behavior toward neighbors, and other instances of erratic behavior.
Despite that, Executive Director of the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association Jeff Potts says identifying people who may be at risk of violent behavior is very challenging.
"That requires law enforcement to have relationships in the community," Potts says. "It requires the community to step up and help law enforcement or social services identify people who they think may be potentially in a position where their mental condition is such that they could do something like this."
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty has expressed support for the state's red flag laws, saying they're a powerful tool if people know what they are and how to access them. And the Hennepin County Attorney's Office just released a statement Thursday afternoon, detailing an incident involving Johnson in June.
“On June 25, Minneapolis Police responded to a call about Carlton Johnson displaying a firearm to another individual," Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty shared. "MPD conducted further investigation and determined Mr. Johnson, who had a legal permit to carry, displayed the weapon but it did not leave his waistband. MPD submitted a case to HCAO on Aug. 20, which was quickly reviewed by an experienced attorney in accordance with established protocol. It was determined that the case likely could not be charged due to insufficient evidence to prove a charge beyond a reasonable doubt. The HCAO also flagged the conduct for Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) screening. Additional review found insufficient evidence to proceed with petitioning for an ERPO on the June 25 incident.”
Court records show Shoreline Plaza was attempting to evict Johnson was due to a number of incidents dating back to January, including several this summer involving a firearm.
In a June 25th incident, property managers said police were called after Johnson walked around the block with a gun, threatened a resident, brandished the gun at another resident. He then "verbally accosted" staff in an attempt to identify who had called police.
Johnson was supposed to appear virtually for a court hearing on August 14th, but that hearing was postponed to September 11th.
35-year-old Carlton Johnson II obtained a permit to carry a firearm in June despite a known criminal history
35-year-old Carlton Johnson II obtained a permit to carry a firearm in June despite a known criminal history
