Two mass shootings in Minneapolis in less than a day wound 14, one fatally

Two mass shootings in Minneapolis less than 24 hours apart over the weekend have left 14 people wounded, one fatally, and no word of any arrests, city officials said.

Shortly before 12:30 a.m. Sunday, nine people were wounded by gunfire outside a Minneapolis nightclub in the Uptown neighborhood, with two men critically injured, police said.

The second mass shooting occurred late Sunday in the 1800 block of Nicollet Avenue S., where five people were hit by gunfire. One person died, police said.

“Currently, there is no known connection between this shooting and the earlier multiple-person shooting in the 2900 block of Hennepin Avenue S.,” according to a police statement Monday morning. No arrests have been announced in connection with either shooting.

The first shooting occurred outside the Reign nightclub, formally known as the Reign Event Center, in the 2900 block of Hennepin Avenue S., according to police.

“A large crowd gathered outside the Reign Event Center awaiting entry” when the gunfire erupted, Interim Police Chief Bill Peterson said.

Peterson said the critically wounded people “are expected to survive.”

“The shooting of nine people is disturbing to everyone: those who came to Uptown expecting an evening of entertainment, those who live and work in the neighborhood and the officers who serve this community,” the chief said. “Firing a gun into a crowd of people demonstrates a complete disregard for human life. This incident is an unthinkable, disgusting and cowardly act.”

The chief said his investigators were working to determine whether anyone in the crowd outside the club was an intended target of the gunfire.

Four people were found wounded at the scene: a 20-year-old man with potentially life-threatening injuries, a 21-year-old man, a 22-year-old woman and a 27-year-old woman with injuries that did not appear life-threatening. All four were taken by ambulance to Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC).

An 18-year-old man later arrived at HCMC with a gunshot wound that was not thought to be life-threatening.

Four others went to Abbott Northwestern Hospital: a 20-year-old man, a 21-year-old man and a 22-year-old man with injuries that did not appear life-threatening, along with a 21-year-old man with potentially life-threatening gunshot wounds. The latter was later transferred to HCMC.

The gunfire broke out after an altercation outside the 18-plus nightclub where a large crowd had gathered, police said.

Investigators are also examining whether any gunshots were fired from a vehicle.

Around 8:20 p.m. Sunday, five people sustained wounds from gunfire just south of downtown Minneapolis, with one person dying, police said.

Officers found four injured men at the scene. One of them, a 28-year-old man, died at HCMC. A 24-year-old man was critically wounded, while a man age 36 and one age 26 were less seriously injured, according to police.

“Preliminary information indicates that gunfire erupted outside a business,” a police statement said.

Police have not released the names of any of the victims from either mass shooting Sunday.

Between the time of the two mass shootings, Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement that “The shooting in Uptown last night is intolerable, and we will be working to hold the perpetrators accountable for this senseless act of violence. This is a stark reminder that keeping our streets safe requires every tool available.”

“We need partnerships where the perpetrators of these acts are arrested and prosecuted, we need to continue hiring more police officers to both investigate and prevent gun crimes and we must embrace proven technologies — from drones to ShotSpotter — that allow our police to do their jobs with greater efficiency.”

Just last week, the City Council deadlocked and failed to approve a 75-day pilot program using two more drones to help police in north Minneapolis. Minneapolis police have been using drones since 2022, launching the small aircraft from squad car trunks in hundreds of missions.

City Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw proposed to expand the drone program to her North Side ward, saying the drones could respond much quicker than the understaffed police force and give officers valuable information about what’s happening on the ground, reduce response times and free police for other calls.

But the proposed free trial with Skydio prompted a wave of opposition because the company supplies drones to the U.S. Department of Defense and 29 allied nations, including Israel. Opponents warned that if the city partnered with Skydio, they would be complicit in the Israeli military’s operations in Gaza.

On the night of the first shooting, Reign had on its bill an appearance by reality TV star and social media influencer Ivori Babu.

Reign is owned by Ned Abdul, who remade the Armory in downtown Minneapolis into a bustling live music venue that hosts a wide range of acts.

Abdul acts basically as Reign’s landlord and others handle the day-to-day operations of the nightclub, said a spokesman for Abdul. The Minnesota Star Tribune is attempting to contact Reign’s operators for information about the club’s security precautions.

Chief Peterson said the first officers to respond to the shooting “were working off-duty at a nearby establishment.” Police spokesman Sgt. Garrett Parten said there were no off-duty officers working at Reign at the time.

On Tuesday, Reign’s liquor license is up for consideration of being renewed by the city’s Business, Housing and Zoning Committee. A city spokeswoman said Reign’s license was on the committee’s agenda before the shooting occurred.

Late last summer, Minneapolis endured four mass shootings in a three-week span. One of them occurred at Annunciation Catholic Church during a back-to-school Mass, killing two children and injuring at least 28 others.

Sunday morning’s mass shooting also came about six years after even more people were wounded by a hail of gunfire in nearly the same spot in the 2900 block of Hennepin Avenue.

Eleven people were shot shortly after 12:30 a.m. on June 21, 2020, in the midst of a large gathering outside a restaurant.

_____