Following deadly shooting, Minneapolis' Ventura Village homeless encampment closure delayed
MINNEAPOLIS — Dozens of people packed the streets Wednesday night in a show of support for a controversial encampment where a man was shot and killed this week.
They don't want the city to close it down, but the city says it will clear the encampment in the Ventura Village neighborhood known as Camp Nenookaasi next Tuesday.
The City of Minneapolis had planned to close it Thursday. Since mid-August, officers have responded to nearly 90 police calls in the area.
"It's just a situation where it's unsafe, and (there are) vulnerable people that we're hoping can have treatment or housing instead of being in this area," said Louise Matson, the vice chair of the Metropolitan Urban Indian Directors (MUID). "It's attracting all kinds of predators."
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With both the camp's residents and neighbors in mind, MUID, which represents dozens of Native-led organizations, has called for an immediate closure.
"The end sum for us is what's the best for our relatives and in this particular case, for the public safety and public health issues," said Nikki Pieratos with MUID.
A city spokesperson says the postponement of the closure was to allow for more time to get people housed.
By then, the city says it will have moved about 90 people into housing.
Hennepin County's street outreach team has helped dozens as well.
"The success of this model is (the team members) really are where people go and they build trust with folks," said Danielle Werder, the area manager of the county's Office to End Homelessness.
Still, the camp is believed to be home to up to 180 people, and it's unclear where the ones who don't move to housing will go.
"We are not here to demonize anyone in our community," said Ryan Salmon, MUID's interim chair. "We want positive results."
The Indigenous Peoples Task Force wants to buy the land and build a new community center.
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Plans call for a communal kitchen and garden, a theater and HIV testing and case management.
"This will give us the space that we need to do our work and we do good work," said Sharon Day, the task force's executive director.
Police have arrested a man for Tuesday's deadly shooting in the camp. He has not been charged.
Tuesday evening, officers found a 45-year-old man with multiple gunshot wounds and attempted life-saving measures. He was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center, where he died. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office identified the man as Tyrone Mohr.
The circumstances of the shooting are unclear. Police do not know if the suspect and victim were residents of the encampment, but did say the shooting occurred inside a tent.