A 3-year-old boy was shot in the stomach in north Minneapolis Sunday and is currently in stable condition at North Memorial Medical Center.
Police from Minneapolis’s Fourth Precinct responded to a report that a child had arrived at North Memorial with an “apparent life-threatening gunshot wound,” according to a press release from the Minneapolis Police Department.
The boy is now in stable condition after being brought to the hospital by his parents around 8:45 p.m. on Sunday.
The shooting happened on Sheridan Ave. N. and 23rd Ave N., where forensic scientists responded to investigate the scene.
Initial reports said the boy was playing outside when he was shot, but police said there is no evidence yet to back this up. They are continuing to investigate the incident and have not reported any details on what led up to the shooting.
“There is currently no evidence to indicate that this shooting occurred outside,” reads a press release from MPD.
“MPD recognizes, appreciates, and shares the public’s concern for the three-year-old boy who was injured by gunfire on 6/5/2022,” the statement continues.
A 15-year-old student athlete was fatally shot in February just blocks from Sunday’s shooting.
According to the Associated Press, at least eight children under the age of 10 have been struck by gunfire in Minneapolis since April 2021.
Last year, six children were shot in north Minneapolis in a matter of months; two of them died from their gunshot wounds. The youngest of those shot was a 9-month-old infant, who suffered a non-life-threatening graze wound from a stray bullet.
A stray bullet almost took 11-year-old Ladavionne Garret Jr.’s life last year, and the shooter is still unknown.
Calls for shots fired across the city of Minneapolis are lower than last year by 4% but have risen by 45% over the three-year average. This year has seen 4,051 shots-fired calls, while 2021 was at 4,239 calls at this time. The Fourth Precinct alone accounts for 2,481 of the calls this year, according to data from the city of Minneapolis.
Gunshot wound victims are also down almost 15% compared to last year but up 36% compared to the three-year average. MPD has seen 213 gunshot wound victims this year compared to last year’s 250.
Rose Williams
Rose Williams is an assistant editor for Alpha News.
