A shooting at a high rise apartment building in downtown Minneapolis on Wednesday afternoon left two people dead along with the suspected shooter and sent multiple others to the hospital including three police officers. The incident unfolded shortly after 4:30 p.m. at Shoreline Plaza at 15 East Grant Street in the Loring Park neighborhood just south of the Minneapolis Convention Center. Minneapolis police officers were dispatched to reports of gunfire and a person shot.
Upon arrival they entered the building and moved toward an upper floor where visibility was reduced. Additional shots were fired as officers responded. Three officers were injured in the encounter. One officer suffered a gunshot wound to the leg that was not considered life threatening.
A second officer was shot in the abdomen and underwent surgery. A third officer received a non life threatening injury that was not from gunfire. All three were taken to Hennepin County Medical Center. Hospital officials confirmed they received seven patients in total from the scene.
One of those patients later died. Combined with one person who died at the apartment building this brought the civilian death toll to two. The suspected shooter was also found dead at the location. Authorities have not released the names of the victims or the suspect pending notification of family members.
The large police response quickly drew officers and equipment from multiple agencies. Personnel from surrounding cities the University of Minnesota the Minnesota State Patrol transit police and county sheriff departments arrived to assist. Armored vehicles and additional ambulances were brought to the intersection of Nicollet Avenue and Grant Street. City officials immediately advised the public to stay away from a wide area stretching from 12th Street to Franklin Avenue and from Hennepin Avenue to Third Avenue South so that emergency crews could work without interference.
Witnesses described sudden chaos. One resident who was in an elevator with two other adults and a child heard the gunshots and rushed to reach safety inside an apartment. Another person sitting outside recognized a building resident holding a pistol just before the shooting began. Residents on upper floors heard banging and gunfire then hid in bathrooms and barricaded doors.
A man driving nearby reported hearing rifle like shots and seeing an officer struck while in a squad car that then collided with another vehicle. A neighbor later told reporters the suspected shooter had lived alone in the building and had recently faced eviction. The same neighbor said the man had made threats in the days before the shooting directed at an ex girlfriend and two property managers. He had previously displayed a handgun and a concealed carry permit according to that account.
Police have not confirmed a motive and have said the case is being treated as a criminal matter rather than an act of terrorism. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz stated that state public safety officials were on the ground supporting local law enforcement. Mayor Jacob Frey urged residents to avoid the area while the investigation continued. The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives also sent personnel to assist Minneapolis police.
The apartment complex itself has a history of serious incidents. City records show multiple assaults with dangerous weapons along with other crimes on the same block in recent years. The building changed ownership in 2021. Residents who moved there seeking a safer environment expressed shock that violence had reached their home.
Investigators remained at the scene into the evening processing evidence and interviewing witnesses. No further details on the exact sequence of events inside the building have been released. Officials have promised additional information as the investigation proceeds. The shooting adds to a series of violent episodes that have affected Minneapolis in recent years.
Community members and city leaders have repeatedly called for stronger measures to reduce gun violence while supporting first responders who face these situations. For now families of the dead and injured wait for answers and the city waits to learn whether this latest outbreak of gunfire will lead to lasting changes in how such threats are identified and addressed. Police continue to ask anyone with information about the events at Shoreline Plaza to contact investigators.
The three injured officers are expected to recover though one remains in surgery. The full impact on the Loring Park neighborhood and on downtown Minneapolis will become clearer in the days ahead as more facts emerge from the official inquiry.
