An 18-year-old was shot outside the Minnesota State Fair Monday night just moments before it closed for the year.
St. Paul police said they responded to the 1500 block of Como Avenue after 8:30 p.m. on a report of a shooting. They arrived to find an 18-year-old male victim with two gunshot wounds to his torso.
The victim was transported to Regions Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and was expected to be released by the morning.
The victim told police he was shot by someone in a moving vehicle, according to Crime Watch Minneapolis.
Prior to the shooting, fairgoers observed a young male with a gun in his hand inside the fairgrounds. There were reports of shots fired, according to Crime Watch Minneapolis.
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State Fair – Dispatch audio confirms that police aired that persons inside the fairgrounds observed a young BM with a gun in his hand enter the establishment at the Frontier Bar near Liggitt and Chambers after a fight that was aired about 8:20 p.m.
There were reports of shots. https://t.co/bHfWEThjGJ— CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) September 6, 2022
About two hours later, a fight broke out in the area outside the fairgrounds. Traffic camera video shows a group of about three to five people punching and kicking another individual in the middle of an intersection. Fireworks were launched at police as they responded to the scene.
(VIDEO) MINNESOTA STATE FAIR: Fight and shooting fireworks at police officers
A fight broke out a little after 10:20pm in the area outside the fair. As police officers responded, another individual shot fireworks towards the officers.
(Via MNDOT camera)👇 pic.twitter.com/SaGsjhk95p
— 🚔 MN Safety 🚔 (@SafetyAlertsMN) September 6, 2022
Dispatch audio indicates people were jumping over fences surrounding the fair after admissions closed Monday night. There were similar reports on Saturday night, when a person was shot inside the fairgrounds after several fights broke out in the Midway area.
Police scanner audio from tonight at the Minnesota State Fair:
Officers describe people jumping the fences.
“We don’t have enough resources.”
Via @now_minnesota
— Rebecca Brannon (@RebsBrannon) September 6, 2022
Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher said his gang intel experts recognized gang members in the crowd before the Saturday shooting.
“We were impressed that the governor was using the gang word today,” Fletcher said during a Sunday press conference. “It’s indisputable now that there’s a gang issue.”
More than 500,000 people were at the fair over the weekend as attendance returned to pre-COVID levels.
Anthony Gockowski
Anthony Gockowski is Editor-in-Chief of Alpha News. He previously worked as an editor for The Minnesota Sun and Campus Reform, and wrote for the Daily Caller.
