Police: I-494 in Bloomington shut down after man fired gun towards traffic, turned weapon on himself
Man fires weapon into traffic on I-494 in Bloomington before turning gun on himself, police say
A stretch of Interstate 494 in Bloomington, Minnesota is closed Thursday night after police say a man fired shots into traffic on the interstate. An officer shot at the man, but it is unclear whether he was hit. The suspect later died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to police.
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (FOX 9) - A section of Interstate 494 in Bloomington, Minnesota has been shut down after a Thursday evening shooting where officers say a man fired shots at traffic before eventually taking his own life.
Bloomington and Richfield police responded around 6:15 p.m. to the area of 78th Street and 2nd Avenue for the report of a man with a gun. As officers arrived on scene, police said the man had moved onto a pedestrian bridge over I-494 near Portland Avenue.
When police made contact with the man, he fired shots into the direction of traffic on I-494, Bloomington police spokesperson Mike Hartley said. At that point, police say an officer fired his weapon at the man.
Hartley said the man remained on the bridge, and fired more shots, before starting to climb onto protective fencing on the bridge. Shortly thereafter, the man turned the gun on himself, he said.
So far, police said they have received no reports of any drivers being injured by gunfire during the incident. It is also unclear if the suspect was struck by gunfire from police.
I-494 remains closed in both directions as the investigation into the shooting is ongoing.