3 Dead, 6 Injured In Minneapolis Mass Shooting: Authorities

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — A mass shooting on Wednesday in downtown Minneapolis left three dead, including the assailant, and six more injured, three of whom were police officers, authorities said.

“But for their heroic work the death toll would have been far higher,” Mayor Jacob Frey said at a press conference Wednesday evening streamed by KARE 11 on YouTube. “I can’t emphasize enough how dangerous this situation was and how heroic our officers were in their response.”

The Minnesota Star Tribune on Wednesday night identified the gunman as 35-year-old Minneapolis resident Carlton Neal Johnson II, citing people with knowledge of the case. Johnson has a long criminal history, including assault and drug charges, the newspaper reported.

Police responded shortly after 4:30 p.m. to the incident in the area of the Shoreline Plaza high-rise apartment building on East Grant Street, authorities said. The building is located just steps away from the Minneapolis Convention Center.

"Initial information indicated that one person had been shot," the city said in a social media post shortly after 7 p.m. "Additional 911 callers then reported hearing further gunfire."

Officers were on the scene in less than two minutes, according to Interim Chief of Police Bill Peterson, who spoke at the press conference. At some point during the incident, a responding police car was involved in a crash on Nicollet Avenue, Peterson confirmed.

Exchange Of Gunfire

Inside the building, officers encountered victims and heard gunfire, according to the city. They followed the sound of gunshots to an upper floor, where they found a haze that significantly limited their visibility, the city said.

Officers exchanged gunfire with the shooter, according to Peterson, who said it is unknown how the person died. Minneapolis police were familiar with the shooter, Peterson said.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating the case, according to Frey.

Three officers were injured, two by gunfire, according to the city, with one of the officers undergoing surgery Wednesday evening. One officer was shot twice in the abdomen and another was shot in the leg, according to Frey. All three are expected to make a full recovery, Peterson said.

The shooter and one other person died at the scene, according to authorities, while four civilians were taken to Hennepin County Medical Center, one of whom did not survive.

Some of the victims were residents of the building, Peterson said.

Aftermath

As of about 7:30 p.m., the area was secure and there was no further threat to the public, according to the city.

A reunification center for impacted families was established at Central Lutheran Church, 333 12th St. S.

“We [are] aware of the incident at Shoreline Plaza and in communication with our onsite team and the Minneapolis Police Department," Natalie Ravitz, of Related Companies, which controls the real estate partnership that bought the affordable housing complex in 2021, told The Minnesota Star Tribune in a statement.

"Our utmost concern is for the safety of our residents, colleagues and the public."

'Praying For The Victims'

City Council Member Elizabeth Shaffer of Ward 7, whose ward includes the building where the shooting occurred, expressed "heartbreak and shock" about the incident in a social media post.

"Minnesota is praying for our first responders," Gov. Tim Walz wrote in a post on X.

FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X that his agency was aware of the shooting and that FBI personnel were responding.

Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth wrote in a post on X that she was "praying for the victims of this heinous crime" and "incredibly thankful for the massive response of our brave law enforcement officers."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.