Community advocates in north Minneapolis said the killing of a 16‑year‑old boy in a double shooting Thursday evening is another sign of rising tension, seasonal trauma and a community desperate for prevention before summer violence escalates.
Minneapolis Police said officers responded around 5:30 p.m. to the 1300 block of 18th Avenue North, where they found the teenager outside with life‑threatening gunshot wounds. He died at the scene. A 44‑year‑old man who was also shot drove himself to a gas station near Broadway and Knox Avenue North, where officers provided aid before he was taken to the hospital with non‑life‑threatening injuries.
A neighbor told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS there was an argument on the block just before the gunfire.
But for many in the community, the focus is not just on what happened, but on why it keeps happening.
“We’re hearing about what happened when the 16-year-old boy was shot and murdered in north Minneapolis, shot 11 times, very excessive, that indicates that this is another personal incident that happened, possibly could have been prevented,” said community advocate Muhammad Abdul‑Ahad, CEO of Touch Outreach.
Minneapolis police have not confirmed the number of shots, but 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS counted at least 12 evidence markers at the crime scene.
Abdul‑Ahad also said the violence is part of a seasonal pattern.
“This is trauma season. Trauma season actually starts in March, and that’s the time where all of us need to come together, violence prevention, intervention, community violence intervention work, to come out with a strategic plan for the summertime to help prevent some of these shootings,” he said.
Abdul‑Ahad said the number of shots fired at the teen stood out and appeared to be a targeted attack.
“You might hear a person getting shot once or twice, maybe three times at the most. But someone being shot 11 times or more — that lets you know that was something very personal that someone had against him,” he said.
Abdul‑Ahad said people living on the block reached out to him directly after the shooting.
“They’re scared, they’re frustrated. It’s motivating them to get more involved in what’s going on and try to help prevent some of these things that are happening,” he said.
He said residents want to know how to help and how to stop the cycle.
“One of the phone calls I had was, ‘How do I get involved? How can I help put a stop to some of these issues that are happening in the community?’” he said.
Community advocate Kay G. Wilson said the violence will continue unless the people responsible are removed from the streets.
“Until we get the shooters and killers out of the community, there will be more shootings and killings,” Wilson said.
Wilson’s young granddaughter was shot and killed five years ago while she and her mother were driving home.
Abdul‑Ahad said prevention is key to curbing the violence.
“Relationship building, getting people where they are. We need to build trusting relationships so they can share the information we need to help de‑escalate and intervene. Relationships matter. Trust matters,” he said.
Abdul‑Ahad said his own experiences with gun violence, both in Minneapolis and in Chicago, are what drive him to do this work.
He said many families move to Minneapolis from Chicago hoping for safety, only to find trauma follows them.
“You think you’re escaping something by moving somewhere else, but trauma follows you. My purpose is to get involved and stop the trend of gun violence,” he said.
He added that real change requires partnership.
“We can’t do it alone. We need partnerships from our local government, leadership, and community to see change,” he said.
Sen. Bobby Joe Champion: “The most dangerous person is someone who has no hope.”
State Sen. Bobby Joe Champion, who represents north Minneapolis, said the shooting is heartbreaking and comes at a time when the community has been working hard to reduce violence.
“My initial reaction was sadness, shocked and sadness because we’ve been making such great strides here in north Minneapolis around curbing violence and gun violence in particular,” Champion said.
State senators passed a public safety and gun‑violence prevention package aimed at reducing access to dangerous weapons and supporting intervention efforts, but the measure stalled in the House.
Champion said the work cannot stop at legislation.
“It has to be fully comprehensive,” he said. “And also providing opportunities so that young people and other people see that there’s more to life.”
He said hopelessness is one of the biggest drivers of violence.
“The most dangerous person is someone who has no hope,” Champion said. “We have to do everything that we can to make sure there are more scholarships and opportunities available than guns.”
Police still investigating
Minneapolis Police said homicide investigators are still working to determine what led up to the shooting and whether the two victims are connected. No arrests have been announced, and officials have not released the name of the 16‑year‑old yet.
Anyone with information can email policetips@minneapolismn.gov or call 612‑673‑5845. Anonymous tips can be submitted to CrimeStoppers at 1‑800‑222‑TIPS (8477).
