Victims of a deadly Tuesday night shooting in south Minneapolis were likely targeted according to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara.
Minneapolis police responded just before midnight to three ShotSpotter activations near East 25th Street and Bloomington Avenue. Five gunshot victims were found, including two adult males and an adult female who died at the scene.
A second woman and another man were take to the hospital, with police saying early Wednesday morning that the adult male was in grave condition.
"Tonight our city is grieving," O'Hara said. "After a relative period of peace, the likes which had not been seen in at least five years, that peace has been shattered. There are families that are suffering tonight and grieving. This is an absolutely senseless tragedy."
O'Hara said there's a "high probability" that the shooting was targeted and gang-related, but could not provide further details due to the ongoing investigation.
Police had not made any arrests as of Wednesday morning.
"Now more than ever, we need our entire community to stand-up and to not accept this level of violence," added O'Hara. "It is proven that if people are able to come forward with information as soon as possible that will help us provide some sense of justice for these victims and family members."
About an hour after the shooting, officers responded to more shots fired just five block south on the 3000 block of 15th Avenue South. Evidence of a shooting was collected, but police did not find any victims. A short tie later, a man was dropped off at Abbott Northwestern Hospital with a non life-threatening gunshot wound.
O'Hara said it was too early to determine if the shootings were connected, but said the circumstances were "highly suspicious."
"Our officers were here while family members were arriving and just wailing in pain. That's always difficult anytime there is one victim, let alone to have these multiple victims, and then to have to face family members and loved ones after our officers were performing CPR and trying to save lives. This is a very serious tragedy."