“This is a tremendously tragic event,” Sgt. Garrett Parten said of the fatal Minneapolis shooting
Credit: AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt
NEED TO KNOW
- A shooting in Minneapolis left three people dead, including the suspected shooter, and injured multiple others
- Two police officers were shot, and another was injured while responding to the incident in a high-rise building
- A reunification center was set up for affected families as authorities confirmed no further threat to the public
Three people are dead and multiple others have been wounded, including three police officers, after a shooting in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Sept. 2.
The Minneapolis Police Department said officers responded to a shooting in the area of 15 E Grant St. involving multiple victims, including two police officers. Authorities urged people to avoid the area.
During a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Sgt. Garrett Parten said the incident happened at around 4:36 p.m. local time.
Credit: AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt
Initially, responding officers believed one person had been shot, but more 911 calls came in reporting there was additional gunfire.
Minutes later, at approximately 4:39 p.m., officers entered a high-rise apartment building where they encountered victims and also heard additional shots being fired.
Officers followed the sounds of the gunfire to another floor, where a smoky haze limited their visibility. At this time, two officers were shot, and another was injured. Parten did not disclose how the third officer was injured.
He said the suspected shooter is deceased, adding it was “unknown” how the suspect died.
A source told KSTP that the suspect died by suicide.
A total of six people were injured, according to local reports.
Four people with wounds were transported to Hennepin Healthcare to be treated for their injuries, where one of the victims died, Parten said Wednesday afternoon. Another person died at the scene.
“So, in summary, there were four people transported. One died. There was one person who died at the scene, and the suspected shooter is also deceased at the scene,” Parten said.
One of the injured officers suffered a non-life-threatening wound to the leg, and another was in surgery. The third officer was also being evaluated for a non-life-threatening injury, per Parten.
Multiple agencies from surrounding cities helped with the investigation.
“As officers quickly moved from unit to unit to assist anyone who needed help, I can’t emphasize enough how dangerous this situation was and how heroic our officers were in response,” said Mayor Jacob Frey in a statement shared with PEOPLE. “They rescued victims, brought people to safety, helped get approximately four people to the hospital, all while getting shot at themselves. We’re all standing with the victims and families impacted by this senseless act.”
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A reunification center for families impacted by the incident was set up at Central Lutheran Church, 333 12th St S., per the Minneapolis Police Department.
The department later confirmed that the area was secure and that no further threat to the public remained.
Parten did not name any of the individuals involved.
“This is a tremendously tragic event, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families and the loved ones of those who lost their lives, of those who were injured, and with the injured officers and their families,” he said.
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