Minneapolis, MN

Fear increases in north Minneapolis communities after violent weekend

Published

2 years ago

July 29, 2024

Fear increases in north Minneapolis communities after violent weekend

MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis residents and visitors might notice more squad cars around the city Monday.

“We’re just, we’re kind of overwhelmed when so many cases happen so quickly, with staffing being so short,” Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said in a rare Sunday evening news conference.

The city is reeling after a violent and deadly weekend of crime. Three murders, a stabbing and two fatal shootings, plus seven others were hurt in gunfire, all within four days. O’Hara pointed to what he called the Penn Avenue corridor, in north Minneapolis, as a problem area. Half of the incidents over the weekend happened on the northside.

“My heart hurts for all the families involved and the people who have lost their lives,” Minneapolis Ward 4 councilwoman LaTrisha Vetaw said.

Vetaw says her community is scared. She says Ward 4, particularly near Penn Avenue, has made recent progressing addressing addiction and the subsequent issues that come with it.

“We’ve had a lot of challenges in these areas for a while,” she said. “And just the last couple of months, I’m seeing some positive change. So to have this big weekend of so much tragedy, it feels like a huge setback.”

Despite the weekend setback, Vetaw says she’s grateful that O’Hara moved quickly, asking outside agencies to step in and help with extra patrolling and investigations. She’s also grateful for the hard working officers in the Fourth Precinct.

“It didn’t happen overnight. It’s not going to be fixed overnight,” Vetaw said. “But what I know is, we have a commitment from everyone, including the people who live in that neighborhood, to see it better.”

While there’s deep pain over the recent tragedies, Vetaw and her constituents also feel hope.

“Overall, there’s a lot of sadness, but people are hopeful that it can be better,” she said.

O’Hara says more details about how the department and other surrounding agencies are working together will be released in the coming days.

Beret Leone

Beret Leone is a native Minnesotan who joined the WCCO team as a reporter in September 2022 – and she’s thrilled be back home in the Twin Cities! Beret grew up in Chaska and graduated from Bethel University.

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Minneapolis, MN

Duluth police investigate fatal shooting in Lincoln Park neighborhood

Published

11 hours ago

February 11, 2026

Press Room

Duluth police investigate fatal shooting in Lincoln Park neighborhood

DULUTH, Minn. (FOX 9) – A man was found dead after a reported shooting in Duluth on Tuesday, according to police.

Fatal shooting in Duluth

The backstory:

Duluth police officers responded to a shooting in the 400 block of Piedmont Avenue. Upon arrival, they found a man who had sustained apparent gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

In a social media post around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, police requested the public to avoid the area to allow officers to conduct their work. The investigation remains ongoing, and no additional details have been released.

Authorities said the shooting in the Lincoln Park neighborhood is not connected to another fatal shooting that occurred in Duluth just hours later.

Minnesota BCA investigating a deadly use-of-force incident in Duluth. (FOX 9)

Dig deeper:

At around 9:40 p.m., two St. Louis County Sheriff’s deputies shot and killed a man following a traffic stop in the 7900 block of Grand Avenue.

A handgun was located near the driver’s seat, the sheriff’s office said. The deputies were not injured. Officials have not released details about what led deputies to fire their weapons, and the man’s identity has not been released.

As of around 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, authorities said Grand Avenue remains closed from 78th Avenue West to 83rd Avenue West as authorities continue to investigate. The closure is expected to remain in place for the next several hours. Drivers are advised to use alternate routes during the morning commute until further notice.

The Minnesota BCA is investigating the use-of-force incident.

Map of the two shootings in Duluth on Tuesday. (FOX 9)

The Source: This story uses information from the Duluth Police Department, St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office and the Minnesota BCA.

Crime and Public SafetyDuluth

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Minneapolis, MN

Trump credits federal surge for reduced crime in Minnesota, but MPD chief says trend started years before crackdown

Published

23 hours ago

February 11, 2026

Press Room

Trump credits federal surge for reduced crime in Minnesota, but MPD chief says trend started years before crackdown

February 10, 2026 / 10:24 PM CST
/ CBS Minnesota

Over 2,000 federal agents are still on the ground in Minnesota. The Trump administration says they’ve made 4,000 arrests during the immigration crackdown, which is something President Trump says translates to a reduction in overall crime across the state.

“Because we have taken out thousands of criminals, their crime is down,” the president said when speaking about Minnesota. “Not because of anybody else, it’s because of us their crime is down.”

In the city of Minneapolis, crime is down in several categories, including homicides, robberies and gun violence. Publicly available data on a city dashboard shows fewer calls for shots fired and fewer victims with gunshot wounds.

So far this year, there have been 10 gunshot wound victims, compared to 24 people last year. Burglary numbers are down, as are vandalism.

But in an interview with PBS News, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara says these trends started prior to Operation Metro Surge.

“That’s something that was happening a few years ago, that’s not something that happened or started happening a couple weeks ago,” O’Hara said.

O’Hara credits community and law enforcement partnerships in that effort.

“That includes federal law enforcement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the DEA; they’ve all been a part of helping us go after the people who are actually are the worst of the worst,” O’Hara said on PBS’s Firing Line with Margaret Hoover.

Though not all categories of crime are on a downward trend; sex offenses, assaults and car thefts are up. The city dashboard shows 683 cars stolen so far this year, compared to 516 stolen last year at this time.

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Minneapolis, MN

Minneapolis man dies at Welch Village ski resort

Published

1 day ago

February 10, 2026

Press Room

Minneapolis man dies at Welch Village ski resort

(KSTP) — A 25-year-old Minneapolis man died last week after an accident at the Welch Village ski resort, the Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office said.

Authorities said that skier Walker Phenix Nelson hit a chairlift support tower a little after 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 1.

Deputies and paramedics were told by 911 callers that Nelson was unconscious. Despite CPR and first aid efforts, he was declared dead at 9:15 p.m.

“We are heartbroken about the fatality that occurred at Welch Village on the evening of Sunday, February 1st,” the resort told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS. “We extend our deepest sympathy to the skier’s family, friends, and loved ones. We are grateful to our ski patrol, mountain staff, and emergency services for their swift response. We ask for your continued prayers and support for the skier’s family.”

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