Minneapolis police are detailing a frightening situation that unfolded Saturday morning as a shooter reportedly entered an apartment equipped with a multitude of weapons, including an AK-47.
The incident began late Friday night when the Minneapolis Police Department received a 911 call around 10:30 p.m. about an individual walking around with a shotgun around Minnehaha Avenue.
While police searched the area, officers were unable to find this person. However, police were later contacted dozens of times Saturday morning around 4:30 a.m., now with reports of shots being fired on the 4000 block of Minnehaha Avenue.
Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the shooter had entered an apartment on the street, seemingly damaging the door by shooting it. When officers began to search the building, they found a shotgun sitting in “plain view” of an open door and heard additional gunfire in the apartment.
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Residents were evacuated from the building by law enforcement as more officers continued to search for the suspected shooter, who was found in the stairwell armed with what appeared to be an AK-47 and a .45 handgun.
The suspect was also equipped with what Chief O’Hara called a military-style flak jacket and a backpack that was later found to contain ammunition.
Chief O’Hara said one officer was able to shoot the suspect, striking his jaw, which allowed other officers to disarm him. The suspect was in critical but stable condition and was taken to a hospital for treatment.
He is expected to survive.
The officer who fired their weapon and those who witnessed the event have been placed on administrative leave, and the Minnesota BCA is investigating the incident.
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While two residences were damaged from the gunfire, Minneapolis police said no one was injured besides the suspected shooter.
“Thankfully, there are no other residents, there are no other community members, no other persons were injured as a result of this incident,” Chief O’Hara said. “Thank God no one was hurt.”
O’Hara, who walked through the apartment himself, described the event as “terrifying” but praised the officer’s handling of the situation.
“I can’t say how thankful I am for the men and women of the Minneapolis police that responded here,” O’Hara said. “I know it must have took incredible courage and valor to do exactly what they’re trained to do. I’m incredibly thankful for the way the officers performed here today.”
At this time, police are unsure of what the suspected shooter’s motive was.
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The event is just the latest shooting-related event in Minneapolis this week, which has seen at least nine different shootings in the city.
“It’s been an exhausting week for everybody in Minneapolis,” O’Hara said. “We’ve had just a terrible amount of shootings and murders over the last week. We were hopeful that our city would get a break from some of this violence.”
CHICAGO (WLS) — A United Airlines flight that left Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport Friday was diverted due to an unruly passenger, officials said.
United flight 2005 from Chicago was headed to Minneapolis but landed in Madison, Wisconsin.
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“United flight 2005 from Chicago to Minneapolis landed safely in Madison, Wisconsin to address a security concern with an unruly passenger,” the airline said in a statement. “The flight is expected to continue to Minneapolis later on Friday.”
An ICE agent facing several assault charges in connection with a January shooting involving two Venezuelan people in Minnesota has been arrested in Texas, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said.
Christian Castro was charged earlier this month with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime.
CNN is working to determine whether Castro has an attorney and has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.
Castro faces those charges in connection with the shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan man shot in the leg through the front door of a Minneapolis home. The incident took place during the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement blitz in the Twin Cities.
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Originally, Sosa-Celis and his cousin Alfredo A. Aljorna were facing federal charges after DHS said they had attacked an agent, prompting him to fire a defensive shot.
But the Justice Department dropped the charges in February, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement said two of its agents, who made false statements about the incident under oath, were placed on administrative leave.
FOX 9’s Erika Mrazik has your Thursday evening and extended forecast. Our temperatures continue to feel more like July than May, and we’ll continue to see plenty of sun.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has issued an air quality alert for the Twin Cities starting Friday.
Air quality alert in Twin Cities
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What we know:
MPCA says that ground-level ozone will be at unhealthy levels in the Twin Cities on Friday. An air quality will be in place from noon to 9 p.m.
An air quality alert in the Twin Cities. Graphic courtesy of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. (Supplied)
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Sunny skies, low humidity and warm temperatures make for favorable conditions pollutants to react with sunlight to make ground-level ozone. MPCA says the ozone will subside as the sun sets.
Who is most affected by poor air quality?
Dig deeper:
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People with asthma or other breathing conditions like COPD, chronic bronchitis and emphysema will be affected by poor quality. They can experience symptoms like difficulty deep breathing, shortness of breath, throat soreness, wheezing, coughing and unusual fatigue.
Additionally, children, teenagers and people of all ages who are doing heavy physical activity outside.
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What you can do:
MPCA recommends taking it easy while outside and limiting physical activity.
To help reduce pollution, use public transit or carpool when possible, fill up your car’s tank at dawn or dusk and avoid backyard fires.
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The Source: A press release from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
