Overnight shooting in downtown Minneapolis leaves two dead, three injured
MINNEAPOLIS — Violence interruptors are calling for parents to step up and step in following another violent night in downtown Minneapolis.
Five people were shot and two of them killed early Saturday morning at the intersection of Fifth Street and Hennepin Avenue shortly before 2 a.m. It's the same intersection where, last week, a 16-year-old girl died after police say she was intentionally hit by a car.
Saturday morning's victims were in their late teens and early 20s. According to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara, officers responded to a 911 call about a fight, and started to break it up when they heard gunshots ring out.
Officers say they ran towards the gunshots where they found the five people suffering from gunshot wounds: a 20-year-old man and a 21-year-old man, a 21-year-old woman, a 16-year-old girl and a 17-year-old girl.
The officers immediately provided medical aid, administering CPR to one of the men and a tourniquet on the other. All five people were taken to Hennepin Healthcare where police say the two men died. The two teenage victims and the woman all had non-life-threatening injuries.
The men who died were identified on Monday by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office as Benjamin Hezekiah Haggray, 20, and Lunden Marcel Woodberry, 21. Haggray was from Ludowici, Georgia, while Woodberry's place of residence is unclear.
Minneapolis police recovered one firearm at the scene.
One person has been booked for inciting a riot, police say. They also report that they believe more people were involved in a fight that led up to the shooting.
"MPD investigators will work tirelessly to bring whoever is responsible for this tragic incident to justice," said O'Hara. "We will continue with our late-night safety plan, and work with our law enforcement and community-based partners to enhance the level of safety for all."
Community leaders say parents need to step up.
"We as a community have got to step up. The law enforcement cannot do this by themselves," said Pastor Jeffrey McAfee. "Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, let's get our kids. Let's go get 'em. If they're down there at this time, let's go get 'em."
O'Hara says that starting on Saturday, police will beef up their patrols downtown in partnership with the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, Metro Transit Police and community group "21 Days for Peace."