Minneapolis police: 9 shootings, 1 stabbing and 3 homicides since Thursday

MPD Chief O'Hara on recent spike in violence [RAW]

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara gave an update on the spiked violence since Thursday, with nine shootings, 1 stabbing and three homicides in the last few days.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Minneapolis has had nine shootings and one stabbing since Thursday, and three of those incidents were homicides. Five of those shootings, and all three homicides have happened since Saturday.

10 violent incidents in Minneapolis in the last few days

Violent incidents since Thursday. (FOX 9)

Since Thursday, two men have been fatally shot and one man was fatally stabbed, police said. Seven other men were injured by gunfire.

Police suspect that three of these incidents since Thursday are related to auto theft.

Authorities don't believe these incidents are related to each other.

Here is the breakdown of these incidents since Thursday:

Thursday

On Thursday, July 25, around 12 a.m., officers responded to the 3200 block of Penn Ave North on reports of a shooting, police said. At the scene, officers found a man with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. The man was walking outside when he was shot, police believe. Officers were not able to locate a crime scene. The man was taken to the hospital.

At around 1:30 a.m., officers responded to a shooting at East 24th Street and Bloomington Avenue South. At the scene, officers found a man with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. Police say that the man was shot while sitting in his car.

Also, at 1:30 a.m., officers responded to a man who had a possible life-threatening gunshot after he was shot while on his motorcycle. According to police, shots were fired from a vehicle. The man was taken to the hospital.

Friday

On Friday, July 26, around 1:57 a.m., officers responded to the 200 block of Oak Grove Street for a shooting. There, they found a man with possible life-threatening gunshot wounds. Police say the man was in his vehicle when a person removed him from the vehicle and took it.

Shots were fired as the vehicle was being taken, and the victim was hit. The vehicle was later found by St. Paul police.

One man was arrested who was in the vehicle when it was found, police said.

The victim was taken to the hospital.

Saturday

Violent incidents since Saturday.

On Saturday, July 27, the first shooting happened on the 2600 block of 3rd Avenue South around 7:13 p.m. Officers responded to a report of a shooting, and at the scene found a 20-year-old man with possible life-threatening gunshot wounds.

The man was then taken to the hospital, where he later died, police said. Authorities believe that the victim was outside when the shots were fired.

The second shooting happened on the 2600 block of Cedar Avenue South around 7:23 p.m. Officers responded to a shooting and found a man with possible life-threatening gunshot wounds. The man was then taken to the hospital.

Sunday

On Sunday, July 28, around 12:30 a.m., officers responded to a ShotSpotter location near West Broadway Avenue and Penn Avenue North, and found evidence of gunfire. Later, a stolen vehicle with gunfire damage crashed near 16th Avenue North and Penn Ave North. When officers arrived, the vehicle was empty. An 18-year-old man was dropped off at the hospital with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds related to the incident.

At 1:13 a.m., a shooting occurred near the 3200 block of Penn Avenue North. Responding officers found a 45-year-old man with life-threatening gunshot wounds lying on the ground near Lowry Avenue North and Penn Avenue North. He was taken to the hospital where he later died.

The final incident was a stabbing that happened inside a home on the 3400 block of Penn Avenue North around 3:15 a.m. Responding officers found a 31-year-old man had been stabbed multiple times. He was taken to the hospital, where he later died.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office identified the victim on Monday as 31-year-old Troy Dean Friend, of Minneapolis. He died from multiple sharp force injuries.

Police say 911 callers reported hearing screaming at a party that was happening inside the home.

Help for Minneapolis police

In response to the shootings and homicides, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara met with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, the FBI, ATF, and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA).

The BCA and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office will be helping the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) as staffing has become a "challenge" for the department, O’Hara said in a press conference Sunday.

"When we have a number of these incidents happening so close in time, it overwhelms our ability to investigate them properly," O’Hara said. "So, I am thankful that the BCA as well as the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office are going to be helping us with the investigations."

O’Hara also said that the sheriff’s office will be increasing patrols in the locations in Minneapolis that have become "problematic". MPD will also be increasing patrols in those areas.

The details of what investigations the sheriff’s office and the BCA will work on, along with the number of Hennepin County Sheriff's squad cars will be deployed is still being figured out.

"I’m incredibly grateful for everyone willing to help Minneapolis at a moment’s notice. Thanks to our partners, I’m confident we will be able to track down and find those responsible and end this spike in violence," O’Hara said. "But it does show how important it is that we continue to hire police officers for our police department. Our department is shorthanded."

Federal agencies have been briefed on the incidents and are willing to help MPD as needed, O’Hara said.

According to O’Hara, MPD has also connected with "multiple community groups and violence interrupters" who will be working in the city Sunday night.