Minneapolis police believe armed robbery sprees near University of Minnesota connected
Minneapolis police say they're working hard to stop a "disturbing" rash of violent robberies in parts of the city.
In a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Chief Brian O'Hara said three male juveniles and one female juvenile are believed to be behind at least 13 armed robberies over Sunday and Monday nights.
The suspects are described as wearing black hoodies or sweatshirts and black masks, and at least one was allegedly armed.
"Sunday's incidents were in a very, very short, 15-minute time period, in southeast and northeast Minneapolis," O'Hara said.
O'Hara said the group pistol-whipped several victims and stole at least two vehicles. He showed new surveillance camera footage of the group "shopping" for victims in south Minneapolis, and another video of the group dumping a purse in the street before trying to rob someone walking in Dinkytown early Sunday morning.
"It's been concerning that it seems like some of these kids, at least, don't have respect for their own lives, let alone the lives of other people in the community," O'Hara said.
Despite this spree, online police data show robberies in Minneapolis are down about 40% from this time last spring, with a 49% decrease in reported crimes in the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood from the start of the school year through December 2024.
O'Hara urges anyone with information on these cases, including video or doorbell camera recording, to submit an anonymous tip online to Crime Stoppers, or call 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
"Even a small detail may help us make an arrest," O'Hara said.
Students, U of M community reacts
WCCO spoke on Tuesday with a U of M student who said her friend was jumped at gunpoint on Monday night "about two seconds from walking into our house."
"She had a bag around her neck, and they pulled on her neck to try and take it off of her," she said.
The student says her friend is physically OK, but emotionally scarred from what happened, along with many other students who live in the building.
"It was terrifying because when you're walking home you think you're safe right about here. You see the house, [and] we have a lot of security cameras," she said.
The student says the cameras captured a crystal clear picture of what happened, but the attackers' identities are hidden under black face masks.
"There were two people who did the attack, then there was one guy who stood around the car, and then there was obviously the driver," she said. "I felt like we were doing good, but now it's like, I don't even want to leave the house once it gets dark outside, who knows."
Ongoing crime around campus over the years prompted a group of concerned parents to come together to address it. The group formed the nonprofit Campus Safety Coalition in 2022.
In a statement to WCCO, the nonprofit's director, Erin M. Brumm, reacted to the recent crime spree:
"The crimes that were committed in the Dinkytown area (and other off-campus locations) over the weekend are disheartening and disturbing. Unfortunately, we have seen these types of crime sprees happen over the past few years. Each time, new victims are added to this unlucky list. Crimes off campus had been trending in right direction over the past year. That is due to many initiatives that were put in place in 2024. We know that the warmer weather brings trouble to the UMN area. It's a sad reality that we have come to expect. We are thankful that the victims of these crimes were not harmed more than they were and are sincerely hopeful the offenders are apprehended and swiftly held accountable."
O'Hara encourages students and others living in or near campus to be aware and avoid making themselves a target.
"Always remember if someone does threaten you to take your property, property can be replaced," he said. "Obviously, your life cannot, so these are, these are serious incidents."
