Two men are dead and eight were wounded in a shooting early Saturday morning in downtown Minneapolis.
The shooting happened around 1:59 a.m. in the area of the 300 block of North First Avenue, outside of the Monarch night club.
This happened after another shooting death on Friday night on the north side that brings to 31 the number of reported homicides in Minneapolis in 2021.
Mayor Jacob Frey released a statement:
“Last night again brought tragic news. Again, our collective conscience is shocked. Lives have been lost on our Northside and downtown. And we are left to process the reality that bullets have struck innocent bystanders, people welcoming the warm weather and celebrating being together again. These outcomes are not fated. We can stem crime in our city, but it will take all of us coming together with a renewed commitment to preventative work and a shared resolve to stop the gun violence and bring the perpetrators to justice. Both Chief Medaria Arradondo and Director Sasha Cotton – two of this country’s foremost experts in their fields – have my complete support in securing the resources they need for the hard work ahead.”
There was also a statement from MPD Chief Medaria Arradondo:
“These brazen senseless acts of gun violence must stop. The perpetrators of these crimes should never find refuge or anonymity in our communities. Minneapolis police officers will continue to rush into harms way to save lives however we need help from community leaders and residents to stand up and speak out denouncing loudly that they will not tolerate this violence as well. Our greatest strength is when we all work together to keep our city safe. Our children are watching us and how we respond during these times. Let’s come together to uplift hope and peace.”
Minneapolis city spokesman John Elder said two people were having an argument among a crowd of people when they both pulled out guns and began to shoot.
"I've been doing this job since 2013, and I don't really remember this sort of mass casualty happening here in Minneapolis," Elder said.
Rescue crews had difficulty getting to the are because of the large number of people downtown.
Police say of the ten people who were shot, five are men, five are women.
One man is hospitalized in critical condition, while the others who were wounded are expected to recover.
There are no arrests, and authorities are getting together later Saturday.
"We will be meeting as leadership of the police department, and meeting with businesses in the area, to work toward ensurance of safety for this evening and the coming time," Elder said.