(VIDEO) 3 Dead, Including Shooter, As Gunfire Wounds Officers In Downtown Minneapolis Apartment Building

MINNEAPOLIS — Three people, including the suspected shooter, were killed and at least six others were injured, among them three police officers, after a shooting Wednesday afternoon at a downtown Minneapolis apartment building, authorities said.

The shooting occurred just after 4:30 p.m. at a high-rise apartment building located at 15 E. Grant Street, near the Minneapolis Convention Center. Officers were dispatched to the scene at 4:36 p.m. and arrived within two minutes of the first 911 call, according to Minneapolis Police Public Information Officer Garrett Parten.

Upon arrival, officers found one person who had been shot. Following the sound of continued gunfire, officers entered the building and made their way to an upper floor, where they encountered conditions that hampered their response.

“They encountered a haze that significantly limited their visibility,” Parten said, describing the environment officers faced as they moved through the building toward the source of the shooting.

Three Minneapolis police officers were injured during the response. Two were shot, with one struck in the stomach and the other in the leg; the officer shot in the stomach was in surgery Wednesday evening. A third officer sustained an injury that was not the result of gunfire. All three officers were listed in stable condition as of Wednesday evening, according to a hospital spokesperson.

Authorities said three people died in total, including two civilians and the suspected shooter. Three additional civilians were also injured in the incident. Investigators said it remained unclear how the suspected shooter died, and police had not released additional details on a possible motive as of Wednesday evening.

Hennepin County Medical Center confirmed it received multiple patients from the shooting, an early figure that was later updated as authorities provided more complete casualty information through the evening.

Video posted to social media Wednesday showed police officers aiming weapons toward the apartment building as the response unfolded, while aerial footage broadcast by local television stations captured a large law enforcement presence, including SWAT vehicles and emergency medical units, surrounding the block near the Minneapolis Convention Center. Police asked members of the public to avoid the area of East Grant Street as the scene remained active.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz addressed the shooting Wednesday, thanking emergency responders and confirming that state officials were assisting local law enforcement with the response.

“Grateful to law enforcement actively working to ensure the safety of our neighbors in Downtown Minneapolis this afternoon,” Walz said in a post on social media.

Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth also responded to the shooting, offering condolences for those affected.

“Praying for the victims of this heinous crime,” Demuth said.

The Minneapolis Police Department held an evening news conference to provide updates to the public as the investigation continued, with Parten serving as the department’s primary spokesperson addressing reporters at the scene.

Wednesday’s shooting adds to a difficult recent stretch of gun violence incidents affecting Minneapolis and the broader state of Minnesota. The city has experienced several high-profile shootings in recent years, prompting continued public debate over gun violence prevention, mental health resources and policing strategies in the Twin Cities area.

The downtown Minneapolis shooting also came on the same day that authorities responded to a separate shooting incident elsewhere, according to reporting from international outlets covering Wednesday’s events, though officials have not indicated any connection between the two incidents.

As of Wednesday night, investigators had not publicly identified the suspected shooter, the two civilian victims who died, or the officers who were injured, pending notification of family members. Police also had not released a motive for the shooting, and the investigation into the exact sequence of events inside the apartment building remained ongoing.

The Minneapolis Police Department’s tactical response, which involved officers entering the building directly in pursuit of the sound of gunfire despite the reported haze limiting visibility, reflects standard active-shooter protocols adopted by law enforcement agencies nationwide in the years following mass shooting incidents at schools and other public venues, protocols that generally prioritize rapid entry and engagement over containment in situations involving an active threat to life.

Law enforcement officials in Minneapolis have not indicated whether any additional suspects are being sought in connection with Wednesday’s shooting, nor have they specified whether the incident is being investigated as an isolated act of violence or one connected to a broader dispute among residents of the building. Investigators were expected to continue processing the scene into Thursday as they worked to piece together a full timeline of the shooting.

The Minneapolis Convention Center, located near the site of Wednesday’s shooting, is one of the city’s major event venues and sits within a densely populated downtown corridor that includes numerous residential high-rises, hotels and office buildings. The shooting’s location in a heavily trafficked part of the city center contributed to a significant law enforcement footprint and prompted road closures and warnings for pedestrians and residents to avoid the immediate area during the response.

City officials have not announced any broader security measures or policy responses in the immediate aftermath of Wednesday’s shooting, though such incidents involving injured law enforcement officers typically prompt renewed internal review of department response protocols and equipment, including tools such as thermal imaging or breathing apparatus that could assist officers operating in reduced-visibility conditions similar to those described by Parten on Wednesday.

This is a developing story. Additional details, including the identities of those killed and further information on the circumstances surrounding the shooting, are expected to be released by Minneapolis police and Hennepin County officials in the coming days as the investigation progresses.