Mayor Betsy Hodges Pens Angry Post After Baby Is Shot, Killed in South Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges took to social media to write a post denouncing gun violence after an 7-month-old baby and an adult male were shot and killed. The deadly shooting took place in the area of 11th Avenue South and 26th Street East Sunday afternoon.

Hodges, frustrated by the news and the amount of gun violence in Minneapolis this year, posted the following statement on Facebook:

Tonight my heart is with everyone who was touched by the shooting deaths in South Minneapolis today. The MPD continues their investigation, and there’s a lot we don’t yet know about what happened, though we have reason to believe it was not random. What we do know is that today, an eight-month-old baby was shot to death along with an adult man. It’s an awful tragedy for the families involved, this community and this city.
I do know one more thing: I am fed up with gun violence in our city. I hope in the debate tonight someone asks both candidates about guns—illegal guns, access to guns, rational gun policy. Because no matter what else we learn about today’s story, we know one thing: if there had not been a gun, there would not have been a shooting. There might have been violence, there might have been heartbreak—but there would not have been a shooting.

The Star Tribune reported that the boy killed in the shooting is Jayden Redden.

Julia Johnson, 34, of Minneapolis, said the man killed in the shooting was her brother, Gustav Christianson, 20.

Third Precinct officers responded to the area of 11th Avenue South and 26th Street East at about 1:26 p.m. Sunday after a person called 911 to report the sounds of gunshots being fired.

Officers arrived and located two shooting victims inside the backseat of a parked vehicle, authorities say.
Paramedics from Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) along with officers provided medical care to the victims.

An adult male was pronounced deceased at the scene by paramedics.

The second victim, a 7-month-old boy, was transported to Minneapolis Children’s Hospital by paramedics, where he died a short time later, according to officials.

Police believe that Christianson was the intended target.

KSTP reported that Christianson was sitting in the backseat of a red vehicle next to the baby when a burst of bullets wiped out the back window.

Investigators are currently speaking with several people, trying to determine their involvement, authorities say.

Members of the Minneapolis Police Community Support Team (PCST) and Chaplin program were at the scene Sunday talking with community members and answering questions.

Anyone with information on this case is encouraged to text their tip to 847411 (TIP411).

Image via Tony Webster, Flickr, used under Creative Commons