Minneapolis, MN
Things to know about the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis officer
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minneapolis police officer shot and killed last week was an outgoing person who loved his job, his family said.
Officer Jamal Mitchell, 36, died in the shooting on Thursday. Police said the man who shot him was 35-year-old Mustafa Mohamed. Responding officers killed Mohamed, and a state agency identified the officers on Sunday.
Another shooting victim, 32-year-old Osman Said Jimale, was later found dead at an apartment. Four others, including one of the responding officers and a firefighter, were injured.
Here are some things to know.
WHO WERE THE OFFICERS INVOLVED IN THE SHOOTING?
The officers who fired on Mohamed were Nick Kapinos, who has 10 years of law enforcement experience, and Luke Kittock, who has nine years, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, or BCA. Kapinos fired his service handgun, and Kittock fired his service rifle, it said.
Both officers were put on leave pending the outcome of the investigation, which is standard policy in officer-involved shootings.
A small tribute marked the scene of a shooting the day prior where at least three people were killed, including a police officer, Friday, May 31, 2024 in Minneapolis. Officer Jamal Mitchell responding to a shooting call was ambushed and killed Thursday when he stopped to provide aid to a man who appeared to be a victim. That man instead wound up shooting the officer, authorities said. Credit: AP/Mark Vancleave
WHAT HAPPENED?
Officers responded to a call of a double shooting at an apartment complex. Mitchell was the first to arrive, BCA said. As he neared the complex, he said over the police radio that he saw two injured men — Mohamed and a bystander — in the street.
Mitchell got out of his car and approached Mohamed, who was sitting next to a parked vehicle, BCA said. Mitchell asked Mohamed if he was hurt and needed help.
“Without warning, Mohamed pulled out a handgun and shot Mitchell at close range,” BCA said. “Mitchell fell to the ground, incapacitated.”
Officer Jamal Mitchell, center, is presented with a Lifesaving Award by Chief Brian O’Hara in Minneapolis, Minn., during a ceremony on Wednesday Oct. 4, 2023 in Minneapolis. Mitchell, who was responding to a shooting call was ambushed and killed Thursday, May 30, 2024, when he stopped to provide aid to a man who appeared to be a victim. That man instead wound up shooting the officer, authorities said. Credit: AP/Renée Jones Schneider
Additional officers arrived and saw Mohamed continuing to shoot Mitchell, BCA said. As those officers approached, Mohamed starting shooting at them, according to the agency.
Kapinos and Kittock returned fire, striking Mohamed multiple times, BCA said. He died at the scene. Mitchell died at a hospital.
Kittock was injured in the exchange of gunfire and treated at a hospital. A Minneapolis firefighter was also treated for injuries. The bystander who was shot is in critical but stable condition.
Investigators recovered a handgun with an extended magazine and several cartridge casings at the scene, BCA said. Agents are reviewing body-worn and squad car camera video.
When other officers went to the apartment, they found two people inside who had been shot. Jimale was dead and the other person was critically wounded.
WHO WAS KILLED?
Police have provided little information about Mohamed or Jimale.
Mitchell was a father who was engaged to be married. He had been with the department about 18 months.
The police department posted on Facebook last year that Mitchell and another officer had rescued an elderly couple from a house fire on Feb. 7, 2023, Mitchell’s third day on the job. The post said Mitchell and Officer Zachery Randall ran inside and got the couple out before the home was fully engulfed in flames.
“I told him, ‘You’re one of the good guys, Jamal,’” close friend Allison Seed told the Minnesota Star Tribune. “They really needed him.”
Mitchell was outgoing, with a big smile and a penchant for trying to uplift those around him, his family said.
“If he saw somebody on the corner with a pan, he’s going to dig in his pocket and he’s going to give,” Janet Raper-Edwards, Mitchell’s mother, told Minnesota Public Radio. “He just loved people.”
Raper-Edwards said Mitchell had six siblings, including a twin.
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
Exactly what led up to the shooting and the shooter’s motivations are still unknown. The connection between the two shooting locations remains unclear. Police have said that the people in the apartment “had some level of acquaintance with each other.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has said authorities are still investigating and asked people to “be patient with us as we do not know all of the facts yet. We want to make sure that the investigation is completed and we’re doing it the right way.”
Minneapolis, MN
Women were arguing over $50 debt before fatal Minneapolis apartment shooting, charges say
Charges say two women had been arguing over $50 when one of them fatally shot the other at a Minneapolis apartment earlier this month.
A 42-year-old Minneapolis woman was charged with second-degree murder for the May 9 shooting, according to the criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County on Friday.
Police were called to an apartment building located on the 2400 block of Pillsbury Avenue South, where they found a woman who had been shot. She later died at the hospital.
Officers spoke to a witness who rented the apartment where the shooting took place. He told police the victim and suspect had been over, along with an unknown man. The two women were allegedly arguing over $50.
The witness said that while he was in the bathroom, he heard the unknown man say “what are you doing?” before shots were fired, according to the complaint. He claims he saw the suspect with a gun earlier that day.
Both the suspect and the unknown man left the apartment before police arrived. Officers obtained survelliance video, which charges say showed a woman matching the suspect’s appearance leaving the apartment in a hurry shortly after the shooting.
Investigators found and interviewed the unknown man, who said the suspect and victim had been arguing over a debt when the suspect went into the bedroom and returned with a pistol. He says he told the suspect to stop, but she fired multiple shots at the victim anyway. He added that the suspect threatened him as they left the building, and he got away from her as soon as he could, according to charges.
The suspect originally denied any knowledge of the shooting, but eventually admitted to being at the apartment where it took place after being confronted with survelliance video images. She denied being involved in the shooting itself.
The suspect is currently in custody. Her bail has been set at $1 million.
Monday will mark five years since the tragic killing of 6-year-old Aniya Allen in Minneapolis.
Family says it’s a loss that will never heal.
“I went from anger to being heartbroken, “said KG Wilson.
Allen, 6, was hit by a stray bullet. It was the second of three child shootings in a three-week span that shook Minneapolis.
After that, Allen’s grandfather walked away from his well-known role as an advocate for peace. Now five years later, he’s ready to push for change again.
“I’m coming out of a mask of tears, hurt, anger and grief,” said Wilson.
The pain of losing a granddaughter continues to hurt his soul.
“I cannot believe that human beings can hold in a secret of somebody who shoots and kills an innocent child,” Wilson said.
The person who shot and killed Allen has not been found. In February, William Burton was sentenced for straw purchasing dozens of guns, including one used in the shooting of Allen.
For years, he stood on street corners, helping families searching for justice after their loved ones were taken by gun violence.
When Allen was murdered, he left that work and left Minneapolis.
His pain turned to anger.
Sitting on the bench where he announced his retirement five years ago, Wilson has turned his anger into action.
“So much grief and so much anger still, but I decided to, instead of just sitting, to channel it into something positive and productive. I’ll be coming up out of retirement after five years it won’t be in Minneapolis, but it will be in St. Paul,” said Wilson.
Wilson wants to help, anyway he can, to stop the violence and save lives.
Working in Minneapolis is too painful for him, his focus now is on the capital.
“I couldn’t save the life of Trinity or Aniya. I couldn’t save LaDavionne from getting shot. None of those three children, but maybe I can come back out of retirement and save somebody’s child or their grandchild and that’s my mission and it will all be in memory of Aniya.”
A $180,000 reward is still being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction in Allen’s killing.
Wilson is planning an Angel-versary celebration for Allen on Monday. Family and friends will gather at Lakewood Cemetery at 4:30 p.m. for a memorial to include a ballon launch. Everyone is invited.
Minneapolis, MN
Minnesota’s Unsung State Park Unit Is An Idyllic Minneapolis Day Trip To Boat, Fish, And Hike – Islands
Minnesota is serious about its lakes. Their “Land of 10,000 Lakes” slogan isn’t an exaggeration. In fact, the true count is 11,842, based on their definition of what constitutes a lake, which Wisconsin likes to argue about with them. Regardless of whose definition you use, Minnesota has a lot of lakes to choose from, which means you can still find a little slice of solitary lakeside serenity if you know where to look. One of those places is Greenleaf Lake.
Idyllic Greenleaf is only about 1.5 hours from Minneapolis, and it’s never crowded — in fact, there’s a good chance you’ll have it all to yourself. Most of the bigger, more popular lakes, like Red Lake, Leech Lake, and Lake Superior’s shoreline, are in Minnesota’s northern half, several hours from the Twin Cities. But there’s no need to wander so far from urban amenities and the well-connected airport, when you can enjoy an idyllic day on Greenleaf Lake instead.
The state recreation area that protects this beautiful lake started as a grassroots effort to establish a state park within 30 miles of every Minnesotan. After years of work, the agreements, land acquisition, and funding all finally fell into place, and the park was transferred to the state in 2009. Almost 20 years later, the park is still an unassuming and peaceful place for a day trip from Minneapolis for those who don’t need much to enjoy the outdoors.
Enjoying Greenleaf Lake State Recreation Area
The first thing to know about Greenleaf Lake State Recreation Area is that this park embraces its primitive natural habitat. There are actually two lakes in the park, Greenleaf and Sioux, but there aren’t many facilities here beyond the peaceful, natural surroundings. The park’s entrance and only parking area is at Greenleaf Lake, which has a small boat launch, a fishing pier, and a few picnic tables, all surrounded by trees and vegetation. Enjoy a lazy morning of boating and fishing for panfish, pike, walleye, and largemouth bass on the lake, followed by a delicious picnic lunch while you read away the afternoon with only the birds to keep you company. Minnesota may be known for having some of the friendliest people in America, but you’re unlikely to run into more than a handful here. Quiet solitude awaits at this park.
The park’s one hiking trail begins at the parking area and winds just a mile through an open field and into a small forest south of Greenleaf Lake, before you’ll have to turn around and return the way you came. Bring insect-repellent clothes and spray to protect your skin, as bugs can be overwhelming in the warm seasons, and ticks are always a possibility in the woods. One Google reviewer described the trail as unwalkable due to the bugs. The rest of the park, including Sioux Lake, isn’t easily accessible. Most visitors won’t ever see Sioux Lake because there are no trails to it.
The lack of park facilities has turned off some visitors and contributed to some poor reviews on Tripadvisor. The people that leave Greenleaf Lake five-star reviews on Google are the ones that just enjoy being out in nature. If you prefer a Minnesota state park with more amenities, consider Lake Bemidji State Park instead.
Planning your day at Greenleaf Lake
While Minneapolis is one of America’s best cities for getting around without a car, you’ll need one to explore beyond the metro area. Getting to Greenleaf Lake State Recreation Area is easy with GPS, but don’t rely on following park signs once you get close. Visitors report there aren’t any on the small backroads that lead to the park. The entrance road is nothing fancy, a narrow dirt road that leads to a small parking area. If you’re visiting just to get your park passport stamp, it’s not actually at the park. It’s at the DNR office in Hutchinson.
Before arriving at Greenleaf Lake State Recreation Area, be sure to stop for a restroom break. There are no facilities, sometimes not even a porta-potty, at the park. The closest convenience stores are in Litchfield, Dassel, or Hutchinson, each about 15 to 20 minutes from the parking area at Greenleaf Lake. If you’re a seasoned backpacker and are prepared to do your business in the woods, make sure you follow Leave No Trace principles.
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