An infant is the fourth child to be injured by gunfire in two months in Minneapolis, and two of those children have died.
The Minneapolis Police Department said that officers responded to a Shotspotter activation on the 3400 block of Colfax Avenue North in Minneapolis at 6:43 p.m. Friday. While en route, police were made aware of other 911 calls reporting that someone in a vehicle had been struck by gunfire and they were on the way to the hospital.
The vehicle containing the victim arrived at North Memorial Hospital a short time later, and the victim was subsequently identified as a 9-month-old infant.
An alleged recording of the gunshot audio from the incident surfaced online in which at least seven shots can be heard.
Gunshot audio.pic.twitter.com/YTRrvkFnkY
— CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) July 3, 2021
MPD said in its press release that the child had suffered a non-life-threatening graze wound to an extremity.
Police spoke to the adult occupants of the vehicle to try to gather information on whether the vehicle was the intended target of the gunfire.
This is the fourth child shot in north Minneapolis in two months.
Ladavionne Garrett, Jr., 10, was shot in the head on April 30 while riding in a vehicle with his parents. He’s still in critical condition.
On May 15, Trinity Ottoson-Smith, 9, was struck by gunfire while jumping on a trampoline in a back yard. She died 12 days later.
On May 17, six-year-old Aniya Allen, granddaughter of peace activist KG Wilson, was shot in the head while riding in a vehicle with family. She died two days later.
Homicides are up nearly 50% in Minneapolis over this time last year with at least 43 so far this year. That number is nearly 190% higher than the same period in 2019, which had 15 over the same period.
The number of shootings in Minneapolis is up 61% over last year. There have been 11,778 reports of shots fired and 288 gunshot victims so far this year. Those figures were posted on Friday on Facebook by former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels, who is part of a group of residents who won a court order this week requiring Minneapolis to hire more police.
Earlier this week, Crime Stoppers announced an “enhanced reward” for information in the three prior cases where the children were shot. Anyone with information is asked to call 800.222.8477 or tips may be submitted electronically at www.CrimeStoppersMN.org. All tips are anonymous, and persons providing information leading to an arrest and conviction may be eligible for a financial reward.
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Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
Crime Watch MN
Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
