Minneapolis Neighbors Fearful After Friday Night Shooting of 3-Year-Old Boy and Man
MINNESOTA (WCCO) - Police say they have strong leads after gunfire erupted in Minneapolis hitting a 3-year-old boy who was playing outside and a 30-year-old man.
The shooting happened in the 3300 block of Emerson Avenue in North Minneapolis around 9:47 p.m. When officers arrived, they found the boy shot in the leg. Police performed emergency aid on the child and eventually transported him to the hospital. MPD believes the quick thinking of the officers saved the child's life.
"They knew the paramedics were three to four minutes out. They knew if they waited another minute, we would be talking about another death of a child," said Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo.
Police say the shooting does not appear to be random. The incident traumatized several neighbors in the area.
C.D. Mosley explained she came home Friday night to several bullet holes. She said one bullet nearly hit her own child.
"The bullet didn't come through but it knocked down the plaster right above my other child's head," Mosley said. "If you can't be safe in your home, where can you be safe?"
Across the street, neighbors stood on guard as they heard multiple shots.
"I was already on the floor," said one neighbor. "We always get on the floor, then when it's all over we come out."
Another resident said she witnessed a cop holding the 3-year-old boy to transport him to the hospital. She told WCCO she feels unsafe letting her children play outside.
Police say the boy and man are expected to survive their wounds, but the child is still in serious condition. The relationship between the boy and the 30-year-old man is unknown.
This shooting joins several others in the Twin Cities where the victims have been children. Arradondo is calling the gun violence an epidemic that must stop.
"We have an epidemic going on right now of unequivocal gun violence, particularly in the African American community and that must stop," said Arradondo. "We're not loving each other and when we don't love ourselves, it's very difficult and hard for us to care about those people in our communities."
