Minneapolis, MN
Four minors injured in Minneapolis shooting involving stolen vehicle
Four minors, ranging in age from 11 to 14 years old, were shot inside a stolen Kia in Minneapolis early Sunday. One of the occupants of the car was uninjured.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said a dark colored sedan pulled up behind the Kia and began firing shots. The sedan left the area before officers arrived.
Police responded to the incident in the 1400 block of Plymouth Avenue North around 1 a.m. after responding to multiple ShotSpotter alerts nearby in the area.
Officers provided medical aid until firefighters and EMS arrived, according to the police press release, and all four were transported by ambulance to HCMC. Two boys and one girl had apparent non-life threatening injuries, while one girl had life-threatening injuries. The fifth juvenile, who was uninjured, was transported home.
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“Four kids shot between eleven and fourteen is outrageous and everyone should be up in arms over it,” O’Hara said. “The police are doing everything that we can in response to this, but we can’t keep responding after the fact. More needs to be done to deter this type of activity in the first place.”
O’Hara noted that over the last two years, juveniles being involved in joy-riding with stolen vehicles, frequently Kia and Hyundai models, has been a “tremendous problem.” The police chief noted that the number of thefts of these two models has dropped by a quarter, and they were less than half of all vehicles stolen in the city.
“While there’s fewer of these cars are being stolen, the activity that these juveniles are involved in have become more brazen,” O’Hara said. “There’s been more aggravated assaults, more robberies, more hit and runs. [There’s been] more serious crimes more frequently committed by those individuals who are involved in the theft of these cars.
“We are failing to deter this behavior and with that we are failing these kids as well,” O’Hara added.
No arrests have been made in the case.
Minneapolis leaders are divided over whether to keep paying for ShotSpotter as the city weighs a new contract for the gunfire detection system.
A public hearing at City Hall focused on the technology as Minneapolis negotiates a new contract with SoundThinking, the company that provides ShotSpotter. Deputy Chief of Investigations Travis Riddle told the council the system supports gun violence strategies and can alert police no later than 60 seconds after shots are fired.
Critics at the hearing said the technology is not proven enough and argued the money could be spent in other ways. The proposed deal would cost $3.7 million through 2029 and would expand ShotSpotter into new areas of Minneapolis.
“We have actually had a contract with SoundThinking for their ShotSpotter services since 2014, and even with this technology for over 12 years now, MPD’s solve rates for homicides and non-fatal shootings were some of the worst in the country,” Council member Robin Wonsley said.
Council members pushed back on the long-term proposal and said they want a one-year deal instead. Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw disagreed with concerns raised by her colleague during the debate.
“In my opinion, and in folks I’ve heard from the North Side who have shown up here time and time again to say that we want this technology, we believe that ShotSpotter is a tool that the police use to save lives,” LaTrisha Vetaw said
City Council is set to take up the issue again on June 17. Minneapolis police are expected to return with a one-year contract instead of the three-year contract brought forward at the hearing.
Premiere vocal ensemble, Cantus is bringing the songs of Dolly Parton to the stage with fresh interpretations. The show will cover her classics like “Jolene,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You.” Cantus Presents, COVERS: Dolly & Friends runs through June 7th at the Luminary Arts Center at 700 N 1st St. in Minneapolis.
Minneapolis police are investigating a hit-and-run that left a man seriously injured Tuesday afternoon.
The crash happened near Oliver Avenue North and Lowry Avenue North just before 2 p.m., according to the Minneapolis Police Department.
Investigators say an SUV struck another vehicle, which then collided with a motorcyclist. The driver of the SUV then fled the scene.
The motorcyclist was taken to the hospital with potentially life-threatening injuries. Police say the driver of the other vehicle was not injured.
No arrests have been made as of Tuesday night.
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