Minneapolis, MN
Concerns about 'urban explorers' climbing roofs in the Mill District
Minneapolis urban exploring concerns
The iconic RiverPlace sign, along St. Anthony Main in Minneapolis, is five stories up.
But that hasn’t stopped some “urban explorers” from getting on the roof.
The big concern is that someone might get hurt.
“It certainly looks like a bunch of daredevils,” says Bryan Carlton, from Minneapolis. “Certainly, looks pretty dangerous, too.”
A photograph shared with KSTP shows somebody standing on the giant letters, taking a selfie.
And clips of rooftop urban exploring are easy to find on social media, including in the Mill Ruins area.
“There are going to be repercussions, but my concern is somebody’s going to get hurt,” declares Minneapolis City Council member Michael Rainville.
Rainville says he’s met with police and building owners, some of whom have filed complaints about urban explorer break-ins.
“They do a lot of damage,” he explains. “They’re jimmying, they’re breaking in, they come in with pry bars and they break in the doors, going to the roof.”
Rainville says there have been about a dozen incidents in recent weeks, including at the Mill City Museum.
Carlton suspects he’s seen it too.
“Oddly enough, my apartment kind of looks over the Northeast area,” he notes. “I actually saw some kids that were on top of like a parking garage.”
Carlton thinks social media is the driving force for all of this.
The biggest concern is for the safety of these explorers.
“At the end of the day, they shouldn’t be up there,” says Makayla Smith, visiting from Iowa. “But if they’re going to be up there, hopefully they’re with good people who care about them.”
Some people have gotten hurt in the past.
In 2023, a 16-year-old fell 20-30 feet in the Mill Ruins area and broke his leg. Last year, a man fell about 30 feet and was critically injured.
Rainville says Minneapolis police have made several arrests.
He and police are urging property owners to ramp up their security and get surveillance video equipment.
“The kids hanging off the sign at RiverPlace, they’re going to get hurt,” he says. “They fall down, they’re dead and they might fall on someone.”
The scene of the crash at 26th Avenue North and Emerson Avenue North in Minneapolis. (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A Minneapolis woman was sentenced for her role in a deadly crash that killed two women and injured two other people in December 2024.
READ MORE: Minneapolis woman charged in fatal high-speed crash faces additional charges
Woman sentenced in fatal Minneapolis crash
Big picture view:
Prosecutors say Teniki Steward drove a Buick Enclave into a bus shelter and a Ford Explorer after speeding through a red light.
Both of the women in the Ford Explorer died in the crash. They were identified as 53-year-old Ester Jean Fulks and 57-year-old Rose Elaine Reece.
During the crash, the Ford Explorer went off the road, injuring a 17-year-old boy who was waiting for a school bus.
The passenger in Steward’s vehicle also suffered injuries.
Minneapolis police said that Steward was also injured in the crash.
Steward pleaded guilty to multiple murder charges.
What they’re saying:
During the sentencing, the daughter of one of the victims had a statement read on her behalf:
“There’s nothing that can truly prepare you for the moment your entire world is taken from you. Losing my mom has left a pain in my heart that words will never be able to explain.”
What’s next:
Minnesota law requires that Steward serves at least two-thirds of her sentence, a bit under eight-and-a-half years, in prison.
Fatal Emerson and 26th crash
The backstory:
According to the criminal complaint, through surveillance videos from the scene of the crash and witnesses, investigators learned that Steward, driving the Buick Enclave, had been driving at a high rate of speed northbound on Emerson Avenue North.
Before the fatal crash, Steward sped through the intersection of Emerson Avenue North and Broadway Avenue North, running a red light and nearly causing a crash, the charges said.
Steward then continued to speed northbound down Emerson Avenue North, and ran another red light at 26th Avenue North, hitting the Ford Explorer, which was traveling eastbound, according to the complaint.
The Ford Explorer had been at the intersection of Emerson and 26th on a green light.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty shared the following statement:
“This was an egregious act that took Rose and Esther’s lives and injured a child waiting to go to school at a bus stop. Ms. Steward was driving at extremely dangerous speeds on city streets and narrowly avoided multiple collisions before the incident occurred. Third-degree murder charges are appropriate to hold her accountable and protect our community.”
The Source: This story uses information gathered from an Olmsted County court appearance and previous FOX 9 reporting.
A motorcyclist is dead after an early morning crash in Minneapolis Friday morning.
The Minnesota State Patrol said that at 1:20 a.m., a Suzuki Motorcycle going north on I-35W at Johnson Street hit the left side of the median guard rail.
The motorcycle continued north for about another quarter mile before coming to a rest on the right-hand side.
State Patrol said the rider came to rest on the left shoulder. He was later identified as 21-year-old Andrew James Neuberger.
ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – The Rochester Spartans boys volleyball team played its second game on consecutive nights. The Spartans beat Minneapolis Camden 3-0.
Rochester’s next game will be Tuesday, April 21, at St. Anthony Village at 7:00 p.m.
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