Authorities say one person was killed, another was injured, and a suspect was arrested following a series of shootings and gunfire Tuesday that began in Minneapolis and ended near Willmar.
According to the Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office, the purported crime spree came to a stop when the male suspect allegedly shot and killed a driver during an attempted carjacking on the Highway 71-23 bypass southeast of Willmar. The culprit was caught shortly afterward.
“Today, multiple lives were put in danger, with one person tragically losing their life,” Imran Ali, a spokeswoman for the Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office, said in a news release. “Our hearts go out to the victims’ families. Please keep the victims, their families, and our first responders in your prayers today.
Before the attempted carjacking, the suspect allegedly shot and wounded a guy in a rural Kandiyohi County residence.
Charges against the suspect are pending. The identities of the victims and suspects have not been revealed.
According to Minneapolis police and the Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office, the firing began around 12:30 p.m. on the 2900 block of Lyndale Avenue South, following a domestic violence incident.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara stated that police responded to a 911 call reporting firearms fired. Bystanders informed them that a person was shooting from an apartment balcony.
According to O’Hara, the suspect shot at his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend when the woman was removing goods from an apartment, but did not hit them.
“It appears there was an altercation between these two parties before the shots being fired, that one party was here to get belongings from the residence, and then the altercation then led to shots being fired at the parties while they were in the driveway, by the individual who was on the balcony,” according to O’Hara. ”
That being said, I do not have any information to indicate that there had been a history of domestic violence between these two individuals.”
O’Hara stated that they had a kid together and that the child is currently under the care of another family member.
According to O’Hara, officers eventually discovered that the accused shooter had left the flat and had fled the city. Crisis negotiators called him and tried to persuade him to surrender peacefully.
According to O’Hara, the scenario is especially stressful for the crisis negotiators who were on the phone with the suspect.
“I know our officers did everything they could, but it appears clear that this person was homicidal and just bent on committing violence,” according to O’Hara.
The Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension are among the agencies looking into the offenses.
Reference:
One dead, one injured, suspect in custody after crime spree stretching from Minneapolis to Willmar