17-Year-Old Shot While Riding Bike In North Mpls.
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Minneapolis Police are looking for a gunman who shot a 17-year-old twice while he rode his bicycle on a north Minneapolis street.
The teen was shot in the 2200 block of Dupont Avenue North shortly before 3:30 Sunday afternoon.
Family members identified the teen as Josiah Taylor. They said he was riding his bicycle when someone opened fire, shooting him twice in his chest.
On Sunday night, he was in surgery at North Memorial Medical Center.
According to family members, Taylor left his father's church, New Mercy Empowerment Center Church of God in Christ, located on North Logan Avenue just after 3 p.m. He was riding through the neighborhood when he was shot.
"We know very little about what actually happened when he was shot. For right now, the investigators are doing their best to figure out what happened at the time of the incident," said Minneapolis Police Sgt. Emily Dunphy.
Witnesses said they heard three to four shots from a large caliber weapon and saw the teen get off his bike and run about a block before collapsing. He is currently at North Memorial Medical Center in serious condition but he is expected to survive.
Family members say Taylor is a kid who is more concerned with playing basketball than hanging in the streets. Police say they believe the shooting is not random. His family said Taylor was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Taylor's father is a pastor and also works with youth in the community. Police believe someone may have seen something that may lead them to the gunman. If you know anything about this shooting, you are asked to contact police.
