Suspected shooter equiped with an AK-47 critically injured after shooting inside a Minneapolis apartment

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.

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.

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.

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.”