Neighbor describes attack on DFL leader Shivanthi Sathanandan during north Minneapolis carjacking
MINNEAPOLIS — Police are searching for the carjackers who attacked a political party leader in front of her kids.
On the street that borders Folwell Park, you'll find flower-lined sidewalks that lead to well-kept yards of maintained homes. It's a place where butterflies flourish and neighbors know one another.
The tranquility in this pocket of north Minneapolis was shattered Tuesday evening.
James Tousignant was building a fence for a neighbor when he saw a group of kids walk by. He said the group attacked a neighbor in her own driveway, while her kids screamed for help.
He joined neighbors in the alley, wanting to help, but they were forced to stop in their tracks
"We seen the guns," he said. "They were just pointing it, they weren't saying nothing."
He said the kids jumped in the neighbor's car, but couldn't get it in gear because they didn't know how to drive yet.
The victim was Shivanthi Sathanandan, 2nd Vice Chair of the DFL.
She took to social media to discuss her rage.
"We need to get illegal guns off of our streets, catch these young people who are running wild creating chaos across our city," she wrote.
Her neighbors are glad her injuries will eventually heal and are determined to look out for one another.
"She come by thanking us and stuff and, don't thank us because really anybody should have been there. Anybody that was there should have been there helping protecting their neighborhood," said Tousignant.
This year, lawmakers voted to make carjacking a separate offense so the prison time would be similar to an assault conviction.
Police did recover the stolen car but haven't caught the attackers yet.