Downtown Minneapolis experiences 2 violent weekends in a row
Minneapolis mass shooting: 2 dead, 3 injured
A mass shooting in downtown in Minneapolis left two men dead, one woman and two teen girls injured early Saturday morning. This is the second weekend in a row where a deadly incident occurred at the intersection of Hennepin Avenue and 5th Avenue. FOX 9's Babs Santos has the story.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Early Saturday morning, a mass shooting in downtown Minneapolis claimed the lives of two men. Three more people were also hospitalized with non-life threatening gunshot wounds, including two teen girls.
"Five families had their lives changed last night, and our hearts go out to them," Minneapolis Police Assistant Chief Katie Blackwell said. "It’s extraordinarily tragic."
Before the shooting, crowds were fighting near Hennepin And Fifth Avenues. "These arguments escalate into violence so quickly," Blackwell explained.
READ MORE: Minneapolis shooting leaves 2 men dead, 2 teen girls and 1 woman injured
Neighbors react to repeated violence
For neighbors, the situation is more tragic, because they say it’s become a normal occurrence.
Last Saturday, FOX 9 reported at the same intersection. A 16-year-old girl was killed after another woman drove into a crowd of fighting people, authorities say.
Investigators said there does not appear to be any connection between the two weekends of bloodshed.
"It happened two weeks in a row. Why couldn’t it happen three weeks in a row?" Daniel Stensgaard wondered, owner of Daniel’s Custom Clothing, a high-end custom clothing store overlooking the problematic intersection.
"I just don’t even feel comfortable anymore," Stensgaard said of the city.
After four years of planning, within 45 days Stensgaard plans to relocate his business to the North Loop.
"It’s sad that I’m reading about 14, 16, 17-year-olds," he finished. "Crime [on] Hennepin Avenue has always been a bit notorious, but nothing like this… you are not going to have downtown Minneapolis recover until you have safe streets and clean streets."
Police recovered a gun at the scene of the shooting Saturday, and arrested one person for rioting.
Authorities say they are not sure why late-night lawlessness has taken over the intersection. Now, they’re planning licensing meetings to investigate whether nearby businesses are contributing to the problem.