Mass murder in MPLS

Three people were killed and two others wounded last night in the state’s largest city.

It turns out that I wrote too soon the other day when I pointed out falling crime statistics. Oops. I should have just waited a few more days.

From KSTP 5 (ABC):

The shooting happened off of Hiawatha Avenue in the Midtown area, and Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara says there’s a high probability that it was targeted and also potentially gang-related.

Some details:

According to Chief O’Hara, his officers were called just before midnight to the 2500 block of Bloomington Avenue. When officers arrived, they found a total of five victims. Some were in a vehicle, while a man was found on the sidewalk.

Three of the victims – two men and one woman – were already dead by the time officers arrived. 

One of the survivors is hospitalized and said to be in grave condition. KSTP quotes Chief O’Hara:

“I just want to reiterate that now more than ever we need our whole community to stand up and to not accept this level of violence,” said O’Hara.

As of this publishing, no arrests have been made, and no suspects have been identified.

The mayor, the chief, the city council, the voters, and the residents of Minneapolis have been accepting this level of violence for years. Why stop now?

The Minnesota Star Tribune adds the detail that one of the deceased males was a teen, aged 17. As for the female victims, they report:

The women who were hit by gunfire were 20-year-old twins, their aunt told the Star Tribune.

Merelle White did not survive, while sister Maleice is “sedated and responding,” said Danielle May, who on her way to the hospital.

After going 62 consecutive days without a homicide earlier this year, the city has seen six killings in less than two weeks. One occurred downtown, and another over the weekend.