"It hurts my heart": 3 shootings leave 7 injured Saturday in downtown Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS -- Minneapolis police say it was just after 2:30 a.m. Saturday that they were called to the 400 block of Hennepin Avenue.
In the parking lot next to bar Gay 90s, police say they found a man suffering from life-threatening gunshot wounds.
Just minutes later, a few blocks down on the 800 block of Hennepin Avenue, another shooting was reported. Police say two men were found with life-threatening gunshot wounds and a woman was also injured. A man and woman from the same incident later showed up at a nearby hospital with injuries.
The latest shooting happened Saturday afternoon. One person was injured near 19th and Nicollet avenues around 1 p.m. Police are still looking for the gunman.
In a statement, Mayor Jacob Frey said, "The gun violence we are experiencing in Minneapolis needs to stop. The complete disregard for someone else's life is not who we are as a city. Those who are engaging in this behavior will be caught — and will be held accountable."
"It's sad. I don't think any of that is acceptable anywhere period. It hurts. It hurts my heart," said Shannon Knaus, who is visiting this weekend from Isanti and says the downtown she grew up visiting has changed.
"It's scary. I mean, people are in groups. People are loud and you kind of detour your way around it or just look forward. Don't watch people. If you're not looking at anybody, they don't have any reason to look at you ..."
The shootings happened near the warehouse district live block party, an event with extra security and police this weekend meant to encourage people to come downtown.
"It was very, very, very quiet. There wasn't a lot of people. There were no street performers. I don't know if tonight will be any different," said Knaus.
WCCO reached out to the Downtown Council to see if any changes would be made for Saturday night's block party. They said similar safety measures would be in place including partnerships with MPD and private security.