Taxi Driver Shot In Road Rage Incident On Hennepin Ave. Bridge
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Minneapolis police have two men in custody in connection with a shooting involving a taxicab driver.
Investigators call it a case of road rage.
The cabbie was shot while driving across the Hennepin Avenue Bridge just before 3 a.m. Friday. He was hit twice but is expected to survive his injuries.
Police say the public is not in danger. Investigators believe the driver of the cab was the intended target.
What they are trying to figure out now is if the men in custody were involved in any other shootings early Friday morning.
The crime scene on the Hennepin Avenue Bridge is something Minneapolis police say is rare.
"This is a unique case," said Scott Seroka, public information officer for the Minneapolis Police. "It's not something that is within the norm of what we see here in the city."
Police call it road rage.
"A vehicle with two occupants pulled up next to a cab, and one of the occupants began firing at the taxi cab driver," Seroka said.
The cabbie was hit twice.
Another cab driver stopped to help him, while the suspected gunman sped away.
Detectives worked through the early morning hours and found who they were looking for.
"Two people are in custody and they are persons of interest in this crime, and at this point we believe the cab driver was the intended target, so at this point we also believe the general public is no longer in any danger," Seroka said.
Investigators continue to work the case to see if there may be other shootings connected to this one.
"We do have five investigators who are working on this case right now, so there is that potential that it could be related to other matters," Seroka said.
For cab driver Wolde Abera, this hits close to home.
"Three guys shot at me May 20, 2014," he said.
The bullet hole in his cab from a year ago is a reminder of how dangerous his job can be, especially at night.
"Eleven o'clock, 1 o'clock -- at times it's a risky job," Abera said.
Police say this is still a very active and fluid case.
They hope to learn more in the coming days.
Possible charges against the pair in custody could come as early as Tuesday.