Police Make Arrest In Death Of North Minneapolis Grandmother
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Minneapolis police have arrested a man in the murder of a grandmother who was killed by gang crossfire in May.
Birdell Beeks was shot May 26 as she was driving with her 16-year-old granddaughter in north Minneapolis.
Police have said two gunmen saw a rival gang member at an intersection and began firing. Birdell's minivan was in the path and she was hit.
Birdell's death prompted public outrage over innocent victims of violent crime.
"Feeling is amazing, they're bittersweet tears," Sa'Lesha Beeks said.
Tears of joy from the daughter of 59-year-old Birdell Beeks after learning the person police believe is responsible for shooting and killing her mother in broad daylight eight months ago is now behind bars.
"I am so glad that we will get justice for my mom," Sa'Lesha said. "She did not deserve to die and we would do anything to have her back, but because we can't, as long as we see that we get justice and he is put away."
Birdell Beeks was driving with her granddaughter near 21st and Penn avenues north when she was hit by a bullet. Police believe she was not the intended target. They say she was caught in the crossfire between two rival gangs.
Investigators are not saying much. The case is sealed because they are concerned about retaliation. What they can say is it was the interviewing and re-interviewing of witnesses that helped crack the case.
"People that we had talked to before we went back to and talked to again and again," Sgt. Chris Thomsen said. "We got new information to act on and some of that information we got, we corroborated that evidence by video and other means and then it just led to more people to talk to and it kind of snowballed."
Birdell's shooting haunted investigators and the community as well. The fact that an innocent person was killed helped lead many to tell what they know.
"The sense of the community was this was an unjust homicide," Sgt. Charles Green said. "There is no just homicide, but this was unjust, this was an innocent person, a grandmother. It could've been anybody's mother and grandmother. And I honestly believe that that's what drove this investigation."
MPD's criminal apprehension team arrested the shooter. He will face second degree murder charges.
