MINNEAPOLIS — Two children inside an apartment were struck by bullets during a shooting incident on the north side of Minneapolis early Wednesday.
Police spokesman Officer Garrett Parten says squads were dispatched to the intersection of Emerson Avenue North and North 30th Avenue just after 3:30 a.m. after a ShotSpotter activation alerting them to gunfire. When officers arrived they found a 7-year-old girl that had been shot and an 11-year-old boy who was grazed by a bullet. The children were inside a duplex apartment when they were struck.
Both children were taken to North Memorial Medical Center with injuries thought to be non-life threatening.
Anthony James says he lives in the same duplex as the kids who were shot.
"My reaction was, 'Woah, it could have been one of my kids getting hit by the bullet,'” said James.
Video from the scene shows about two dozen evidence markers on the street outside the apartment, suggesting a barrage of bullets was fired from outside the residence. MPD forensic technicians gathered and processed evidence while investigators attempted to locate and question potential witnesses.
James’ 16-year-old son, Tylan Manuel, was one of five kids who were in James’ unit when he said multiple bullet holes entered his family’s home — one of which, was just feet away from his bedroom.
“It’s crazy,” he said. “It could have been me or my family.”
During a media briefing Wednesday afternoon, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said preliminary information indicates the shooting is not random in nature, but insisted that the children were not the target. He said that investigators will do everything they can to bring those responsible to justice, and vowed to continue efforts to make sure families in Minneapolis are protected and safe.
"It is absolutely outrageous when children are victimized by those who have no concern for the sanctity of human life," he reflected.
The chief told reporters that efforts by his department and community outreach groups are making a difference, saying that in 2023 there are 120 fewer gunshot victims than at the same point last year, and 158 fewer than in 2021. That being said, O'Hara told reporters that "any instance of gun violence in the community is totally unacceptable, and it cannot be normalized in our thinking."
Anyone with information on the shooting or those who may be responsible is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or submit tips electronically on the CrimeStoppers website.
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