Shooting of boy in Minneapolis sparks concerns over rise in crime

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The day after a young boy was shot in a vehicle in the Folwell neighborhood of Minneapolis, members of the community are praying for his recovery while others are raising concerns about a spike in crime in the city.

The boy remains in critical condition after police say he was shot in a vehicle along Morgan Avenue North near 34th Avenue on Friday afternoon.

Two vigils were held on Saturday, praying for the child to make a full recovery - one outside North Memorial Medical Center where he is being cared for and another in Minneapolis to support the family.

"Just another tragedy, a tragedy that shouldn’t be happening at all," said Marcus Kennedy with community group Emerge.

"It won’t solve it if we ignore it, so we’re going to have to get active and get actively involved in the lives of other people," said Rev. Jerry McAfee of New Salem Missionary Baptist Church. "The family - I’ve known the father since he was a baby - to see what they’re going through is tough."

As the child recovers, there is rising concern about violent crime in the city, including homicides. Numbers from the Minneapolis Police Department show that at this time of year in 2019, there were six homicides. In 2020, there were 12 homicides by May 1 and, this year, already 24 people have been killed.

While the department isn’t able to provide details on how many of those deaths are from shootings, those on the ground tell us the tragedies are too many.

"When these times really do come, it’s important to be out here and show our face," added Kennedy. "We’re here for the community, that we’re working toward something better than this."