A few months ago, Minneapolis resident John Christopher found himself staring down the barrels of three guns in a terrifying armed robbery outside his Uptown home.
Though Christopher survived physically unharmed, the ordeal has left him and his family deeply shaken—not only by the robbery itself but by the silence from city and state leaders in its aftermath.
Reaching out for help yields little response
Since the incident, Christopher and his family have reached out to numerous officials, including Gov. Tim Walz, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and Sen. Tina Smith, urging action on the rise in youth crime they believe is spiraling out of control.
The only response came in the form of a generic letter from Gov. Walz to his sister Rebekah Dodge, which made no mention of Christopher’s ordeal.
Alpha News obtained copies of the emails sent to local leaders, including an exchange between Dodge and Minneapolis City Council Member Andrea Jenkins. Jenkins initially expressed sympathy and suggested they attend a community safety meeting.
However, when Christopher arrived at the meeting, he was greeted by a note on the door—the meeting had been canceled due to a lack of air conditioning.
“He hasn’t heard from Andrea since,” Dodge said.
Christopher is also still waiting to participate in a police photo lineup to identify the suspects, but progress has been slow.
Financial strain and emotional toll
In the weeks following the robbery, Christopher’s wallet and key fob were recovered by a neighbor, but the loss of the $1,500 in cash he had at the time still stings.
The armed robbery occurred on Aug. 16 around 10:30 p.m. near 43rd Street and Lyndale Avenue. Christopher had just gotten into his car when three juveniles, dressed in black and wearing ski masks, rushed him.
“All of a sudden, both of my car doors pop open, and I have three guns on me,” recalled Christopher. “They said, ‘Get out of the car, give us your money.'”
Fearing for his life, he handed over his wallet and prayed the gunman wouldn’t pull the trigger. “I thought I was going to die,” Christopher said.
For a few agonizing seconds, the gunman hesitated, keeping his semi-automatic Draco trained on Christopher before finally fleeing.
“I just said, ‘Thank you, God, thank you, God.’ I guess it wasn’t my time.”
Concerns about youth crime and city inaction
Christopher, who has lived in Uptown for seven years, believes his robbery is just one example of the growing crisis in the city. He says he has witnessed multiple attempted car thefts outside his home and suspects the juveniles who robbed him may have been part of a gang initiation.
“City leaders say that crime is down, but ask anyone who lives here and they’ll tell you something different,” he said.
Despite the escalating crime, Christopher is still living in the area. “I am still here because I have a lease where I’m at and I can’t just leave,” he explained.
Christopher, who runs a black car service, says several clients have shared similar stories.
“One client said she was in the Lake Calhoun, Bde Maka Ska area when she was carjacked by two younger Somali guys with Dracos—the same type of gun used during my robbery,” Christopher added. He said the suspects who robbed him were also Somali.
Alpha News reached out to Gov. Tim Walz, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and Sen. Tina Smith for comment but did not receive a response.
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
