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.