Four people were injured Friday night after gunfire erupted during a large gathering at Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park in south Minneapolis, an incident that sent young people running and left neighbors shaken by how close the violence came to their homes.
Minneapolis Park police say officers were responding to reports of a large group of young adults in the parking lot around 8:38 p.m. when multiple shots were fired before they arrived. A 19‑year‑old woman was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
Three others with gunshot wounds arrived at hospitals on their own. No arrests have been made, and investigators are still working to determine what led to the shooting.
For neighbors living along the park, the chaos unfolded just steps from their front doors.
One neighbor, Jayne, said her family had just put their children to bed when a commotion outside drew their attention. Moments later, gunfire erupted both in the park and near her home.
“It was just terrifying,” she said.
Jayne said the number of shots was unlike anything she has heard in more than a decade living in the neighborhood.
“I lost count. More than 20 altogether. I honestly don’t even know. I’ve not heard that many before.”
She later found evidence of the shooting just feet from her home.
“It was two casings down at the end of our driveway.”
As the gunfire rang out, she watched young people sprint away from the park in fear.
“I saw so many terrified kids running.”
She said parents and older family members rushed in afterward to pick up teens who had been at the park.
“I can’t imagine how terrifying that felt to be there. Then later on, we saw the parents coming and older family members coming to get the kids. It breaks my heart,” Jayne said.
Youth advocate and Touch Outreach CEO, Muhammad Abdul‑Ahad, said gatherings like this mirror a national trend of so‑called “park takeovers,” where large groups of teens and young adults converge on parks after dark.
He said the meet‑ups often spread through social media and typically happen without adult supervision, programming, or structure — conditions he said can escalate quickly.
He stresses that it is unclear whether Friday’s shooting was a takeover, but said the trend underscores the need for more intentional investment in youth programming.
“Youth programs, mentorships, art classes, cooking classes, conflict mediation,” he said. “Right now, they’re giving themselves a reason to belong in the parks. And it’s not a positive, as we see, because it’s always a shooting that’s happening.”
Abdul‑Ahad said activating parks with staff, mentors and activities gives teens a safe place to gather and reduces the likelihood of unsupervised crowds forming on their own.
According to Minneapolis police data, gunshot‑wound victims are down about 24% compared to this time last year. Officials often caution that even with the decrease, any shooting is one too many.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, this is the third shooting in Minneapolis this year in which four people were shot.
Minneapolis Park police are asking anyone with information to come forward.
Courtesy of KTSP
