A shooting occurred in Minneapolis on Thursday night that left three people dead, including a suspect and a Minneapolis police officer, and three more injured, according to the police.
Authorities reported that the event took place in the Whittier section of the city. Assistant Police Chief Katie Blackwell stated that two of the three injured people who are still alive are firefighters and a Minneapolis police officer, both of whom had non-life-threatening wounds. She described the other person as “gravely injured.”
When there were early reports of a “double shooting” at an apartment building, police were called to the neighborhood. According to Blackwell, as soon as the cops came, someone opened fire on them. The officers then opened fire back.
According to Blackwell, the gunfight resulted in the deaths of the suspect and one cop, as well as injuries to the second officer. Eventually, two more shot individuals were located by the authorities; one of them passed away there, according to Blackwell.
Authorities say that following “a very close encounter” with the suspect, 28-year-old police officer Jamal Mitchell was “ambushed.”
According to investigators, Mitchell was shot between one and a half and two blocks from the apartment while he was trying to help others who were hurt, they claimed during a press conference on Thursday night.
“Mitchell was attempting to assist the individual that shot him,” Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans stated. “And with that it happened very fast and that he ambushed him.”
After being shot, Mitchell was transported to a nearby hospital, where he later passed away. The injuries to the second officer were not life-threatening.
It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the firing. Police announced on Thursday that they have identified the culprit and are currently conducting an investigation to determine his or her motive.
Mitchell was a “hero” to the City of Minneapolis, according to Mayor Jacob Frey during a press conference on Thursday night. According to Frey, he “gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect and save the lives of others” and was “so deeply committed to protecting and serving.”
“We will honor his sacrifice. We will remember his name. We will never forget what he did for the people of our city,” Frey stated.
The Gun Violence Archive estimates that there have been 180 mass shootings in the US so far this year, including this one.
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Reuben Molina, a witness, stated that he heard a “bang” and then several bangs while he and his girlfriend were watching television in their third-floor flat.
Then, Molina added, “we heard it again and again and again in rapid succession, and then me and her were like, ‘Oh, that’s gunshots,'” adding that he thought the noises were from the floor below them inside the apartment complex.
After leaving the apartment to investigate, Molina claimed to have seen two individuals leave the building—one heading north and the other south—from the rear.
The pair then descended to the second level, according to Molina, and that’s when they heard a woman on the phone mention that two people had been shot.
Molina claimed to have heard gunshots after leaving the building and to have seen “people shooting.”
Upon being questioned if he witnessed any officers pulling their guns, Molina replied, “many people.” I was unable to say “officers or not.”
“We are strong. We are resilient. We have been through hard times before and we find a way to rise above and we will do that again,” Frey stated. “We got to do everything possible to make sure that these tragic events, this epidemic of gun violence, this kind of stuff never happens again.”
