Police Arrest Juvenile In Connection With Deadly Shooting
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Police have arrested a juvenile in connection with a deadly shooting that stemmed from a fight on a metro transit bus Thursday night.
The shooting happened on a metro transit bus near 26th and Penn Avenue just before 7 p.m. Thursday. Police said 38-year-old Andrew Billingsley Jr., of Minneapolis, was killed. The driver of the Metro Transit bus was related to the victim and tried to perform CPR.
Police said they do not think the shooting was random. They have not identified the person they arrested, and they didn't immediately say whether they intended to make any further arrests.
"We're still working the investigation and checking on leads but we can tell you it may have stemmed from a verbal confrontation on a Metro Transit bus. But our investigators are talking with witnesses to verify that information," Officer Scott Seroka said Thursday night.
It was the third homicide in that part of the city just this month, and starting Friday, extra patrols will be out to try to stop the violence. Those patrols of eight officers and a supervisor will be split in both north and south Minneapolis.
These areas have been the trouble spots this summer. Police have dealt with a series of robberies in south Minneapolis, especially along Lake Street, and a number of high profiles shootings in north. Now, officers have two more north side shootings to investigate.
About 15 minutes after the bus shooting, police got another call of shots fired at 24th Street and Lyndale Avenue. One man was hurt, but police said he'll be OK. Officers don't believe either of these shootings were random.
Police said the extra patrols to keep these communities safe are expected to cost the city about $300,000 in overtime. They'll be on the streets this weekend through Labor Day. But even with the extra patrols, Minneapolis is currently working with fewer police, according to City Councilor Barb Johnson.
The city budgets for 850 and only has 779 right now. Minneapolis should be back to 850 by sometime next year.
