Minneapolis shooting: 1 dead, 5 hurt in shooting near encampment

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Six people were shot – one fatally – Monday night in Minneapolis' Ventura Village neighborhood, according to police. 

The shooting happened around 11:26 p.m. under a bridge near 17th Avenue South and Franklin Avenue South, about 2 miles south of downtown Minneapolis. 

Upon arrival, police described an "unruly crowd" with more than a dozen people at the scene. Additional law enforcement agencies responded to help disperse the crowd and secure the area as first responders aided the injured.

Police said a woman sustained life-threatening gunshot wounds, and a man sustained potentially life-threatening gunshot wounds. Meanwhile, two men and two women suffered apparent non-life-threatening gunshot wounds. 

The six people were transported to Hennepin Healthcare for their injuries. The woman with life-threatening gunshot wounds died from her injuries. Police did not share the conditions of the others who were injured.

What led up to the shooting

Speaking on Tuesday, Minneapolis PD Chief Brian O'Hara said investigators are still piecing together what happened Monday night.

The chief says there have been past homeless encampments in that spot.

"There are unhoused individuals who are sleeping under the bridge at that location," said Chief O'Hara. "However, it's unknown what relationship the people shot, or the people involved with the shooting, have with the encampment."

The property where the shooting happened is owned by Hennepin County and Metro Transit.

"This highlights an ongoing problem we've had around homeless encampments," Chief O'Hara added. "I know it's been incredibly frustrating to residents who live nearby. Unfortunately, these locations are known for narcotics activity, and they're just not safe."

A gun was recovered at the scene but it's not clear if the gun was used in the shooting.

Shooting scene like 'Skid Row’

A concerned mother describes Franklin Avenue as resembling a mini Skid Row, with "young girls lying in the grass, old people laying around, and people smoking off tin foil."

Angela Valencia wasn’t surprised when she woke up to hear six people had been shot, one fatally, on Franklin Avenue. But, she was worried.

"I woke up this morning, and I didn't even know for two hours if it was my son or not," Valencia said.

Valencia has been to Franklin near the Hiawatha Bridge three times in the last month to try to help her son, who is drug-addicted and spending a lot of time there. She describes the area as a scary, sad place.

"There's people slumped over the fences that they put up to make it so people can be there, literally slumped over that fence. And there are so many people that are passed out that you don't know if they're even alive or if they're breathing," she said.

Although police have not confirmed if the shooting was directly related to the alleged rampant drug use, Valencia believes the area attracts drugs and crime – and has for sometime.

"I was just talking to my significant other yesterday about something happening down there. Something is bound to happen," Valencia said.

One person arrested for obstruction

Police said a man was arrested for obstruction and unrelated warrants.

Chief O'Hara explained on Tuesday that the crowd gathered at the scene was not listening to officers who were trying to secure the scene.

"20 or 30 people who were there were just not obeying commands to get back and allow the officers to provide first aid," the chief said.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner will release the woman’s name along with the cause and manner of death at a later time. 

The shooting remains under investigation.